Marna Bell: Hudson Past/Perfect

Marna Bell–Hudson Past/Perfect
Community Darkrooms Gallery
Exhibition Dates: January 18–March 8, 2011
Gallery Reception (at Light Work): February 3, 5:00–7:00pm

Light Work is pleased to announce the exhibition Hudson Past/Perfect, featuring photographs by Marna Bell, the winner of the Light Work/Community Darkrooms Members Juried Exhibition competition. Juror Stephen Mahan, director of the Photography & Literacy Project at Syracuse University, picked Bell as the winner, and awarded five Honorable Mentions to Jeremy Decharzo, Andy Frost, Genevieve Marshall, Meghan Schaetziel, and Mindy Lee Tarry.

In 2005, after the sudden death of her mother, Bell picked up her camera after a twenty year hiatus from painting and began photographing nature. Her focus in both painting and photography has been on reclaiming visions of the past and her connection to nature.

According to Bell, “Many trips back home to New York City on the train have helped me remember lost pieces of time where life seemed simpler and less veiled. It was a natural progression for me to record the cycle of change in my Hudson Past/Perfectseries. By revisiting the same landscapes in different seasons and under different weather conditions, I was able to capture the past before it disappeared. I am drawn to the meditative quality of the Hudson River and the sacred aspects of the natural environment.” The series is reminiscent of a more romantic era, when God and Nature were viewed as one.

About the Artist
Marna Bell received her BFA from Pratt Institute and her MFA from Syracuse University. Her paintings and photography have been featured in exhibitions throughout New York State as well as at the Brenda Taylor Gallery in San Diego, CA. She received the Best in Photography Award in the Manhattan Arts International Online Exhibition, The Healing Power of Art (New York, NY).

Also on view at this time is Penumbra, a suite of three video installations by Demetrius Oliver, and theTransmedia Photography Annual exhibition, featuring photographs by seniors in Syracuse University’s Department of Transmedia, part of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Gallery hours for this exhibition are Sunday to Friday, 10am–6pm, and by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 315-443-1300. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in Booth Parking Garage.

Light Work invites groups and individuals to schedule tours and gallery talks of the exhibition and facility. Light Work is a non-profit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media. Light Work is a member of CMAC, the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers at Syracuse University.

For more information, please contact Jessica Reed at Light Work, 315-443-1300 or jhreed01@syr.edu.