PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury is now exhibiting 35 images selected by Middlebury native Emma Powell (daughter of Kirsten Hoving, who, with her husband Rick Clark, founded PhotoPlace Gallery) for the juried exhibit “Fictional Narratives.” Powell also selected an additional 35 for the gallery’s Online Gallery Annex.
Photographic fictional narratives read like fairytales rather than memoirs. They leave clues rather than solve mysteries. At times, they are constructed by the artist with a specific intention in mind — a staged setting, art-directed gazes and gestures, and allegorical metaphors. Other times, the images are found in landscape or through man-made materials that represent universal qualities of the personal, human experience. At its best, personal narratives create curiosity while recounting intimate or imagined stories — with unique endings for each viewer. Photo by Brooke Shaden
“I was honored to review so many remarkable and intriguing photographs,” wrote Powell in a statement. “Thank you to all the artists who contributed their work. I believe it is imagination that connects the images in this selection, both the artist’s creative intent as well as the imagination inspired in the viewer.”
“When reviewing the images for ‘Fictional Narrative,’ I found myself particularly drawn to images that made me curious about their greater context or storyline,”explained Powell, who received her MFA in photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology and now works as an assistant professor of art at Colorado College. “These images made me want to envision the world they came from. I also looked for the mysterious images that conveyed intimate details while also relating to more universal themes. I was impressed by how aesthetically compelling these images are. From depth of atmosphere to elements of design, these images stood out to me for their visual strength.”
Powell’s own work also focuses on fictional narrative.
“I create art that visualizes curious scenarios in order to convey a message or feeling instead of a record of a moment,” explained the Middlebury Union High School grad. “I utilize a range of hand-applied photographic emulsions in order to visualize the distance between fantasy and reality, as well as to make prints that appear as objects instead of windows. The photographic processes I use are chosen intentionally to evoke another place or time that is removed from the every day, adding layers of narrative meaning through historical references or material qualities.” Photo by Cherie E. Truesdale
For Powell fictional narratives in photography “allow us the freedom to explore our own lives through metaphor and fantasy.” Escape the mundane and go check out the PhotoPlace Gallery’s exhibit before it’s gone.
For more info and to see the online gallery visit photoplacegallery.com or call (802) 388-4500.