Poseidon at the Cusp, by Larry Garmezy
Although Finding Equilibrium began as an exploration of the patterns, textures and colors found in the pristine waters of natural springs, midway through this adventure my thoughts shifted to the demands placed on these waters as they meander downstream through the human world. This exhibition ends with a social commentary designed to challenge the viewer with the question, "When are WE too many?" Are we, in fact, losing equilibrium? This is not the usual commentary on the need to preserve the environment rather the images at the end of the show represent my first two "shots over the bow" on the issue of unconstrained population growth.
Losing Equilibrium: When Are We Too Many?, Houston
Finding Equilibrium was also the title of the last image of my previous exhibition at Archway Gallery, Orogenesis which focused on the "solid" forms of mountain landscapes, ephemeral on a time scale only a geologist can appreciate. This time I studied waterscapes in and around natural springs that change in the blink of an eye. This fluid environment is designed for the photographic art form. Whereas the human eye can see the motion created by the upwelling of water, it takes a mechanical shutter to "freeze" the scene, revealing the composition in all its glory and novelty.
Through digital deconstruction of details the fundamental form and texture, color and light emerge. Seeing rhythms in the natural world is an offshoot of my geologic background and much of his work captures the unusual and subtle patterns I find at every scale of observation from the microscopic to the grand panorama.
This exploration began with the discovery of a spectacular natural spring along the eastern flank of the "Island Park Caldera" in eastern Idaho and continued through the Rockies, central Texas, New England and Southern France. The spectacular range and intensity of color and the patterns created by the interplay of the water, light, plant life and topography spring from these images as the body of water attempts to "find equilibrium."
From the Depths, Larry Garmezy
The show's title also suggests the role the natural world plays in my life and where I return to seek my own equilibrium. To this day, I can close my eyes and return to every mountain range, valley, stream or snowfield I have traversed over the past 50 years.
My work has been exhibited in juried shows in Seattle and Houston. Most recently a piece from Finding Equilibrium was accepted into the September 2015 juried membership show of the Houston Visual Arts Alliance. My work has been on view at numerous venues in the Houston area, including a public commission in Bellaire, Texas. I am a member of the Houston Center for Photography, the Houston Visual Arts Alliance and have been a member artist at Archway Gallery since November 2011. The show is on display at Archway Gallery, Houston between January 9th and February 4th, 2016. Click here to preview the show.