I just got in from a Carson City, Nevada, where I made it a point to take in Jim Galli's exhibit at The Nevada State Library. It was a drizzly gray day, perfect for going to a library. Libraries always struck me as being especially nice on rainy days. The Exhibit is in the Library and not the Gallery, as I found out, and while I've seen Jim's photos on his site and occasionally he'll post one on this forum, the real live prints were nothing like what I've seen on my computer screen.
Besides the incredible resolution of the silver print, as well as the special feel of contacts that just dosen't "come across" on the computer screen, there is a thread that runs through the collection of images that I found very unique and enjoyable. Its kind of hard to describe...its not exactly the nostalia that one would usually associate with rusty old things, nor is it exactly a commentary on vanishing historic architecture...maybe its a little bit of both, but there is more to it than that. These prints could easily have kind of an ageless quality that could lead the viewer to believe they were taken 30-40 years ago, but the effect I see is more like I'm watching time pass as I moved from print to print---not unlike watching a series of photographs of a young child growing to maturity and finally old age...only its not a portrait of people, but of a period in time. Like I said, its hard to describe---but well worth seeing if you're in the area. If you're lucky, it'll even rain a little for you.
Cheers!
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