In the spring semester of a freshman at the University of Rhode Island, Logan Healy mistakenly stepped into a darkroom class, thinking it was a digital photography class.
Healy was experimenting with photography in high school, but had never worked in a darkroom (an almost pitch-black room where artists process photos and make prints) until they attended class.
“I took a darkroom class, which seemed to really slow down and really learn the process and find out what my image should be,” he said. “It’s really amazing just to be in the darkroom. Making prints in the darkroom is probably the most fun thing I’ve ever done in college.”
Healy’s three works, created in the darkroom of the URI, are currently on display at the Wickford Art Association as part of the “Emerging Artists” exhibition.
This exhibition, featuring works by undergraduate and graduate students, is one of two shows that will be on display at the association until May 29th. Another “spring salon” is hung in a way reminiscent of 19th century France. ..
“We decided to fill the space with veteran artists in one area of the gallery and up-and-coming artists in another,” said gallery director Maria Masse.
In the “Salon Style” exhibition, “Spring Salon”, a large group of art is displayed vertically, instead of the traditional eye-high row of works (called “Museum Style”). ).
According to Masse, WAA general artist members and jury artist members were invited to enter their work of art at the Spring Salon Show.
And one of the artists who submitted the work is Gwendolyn Prescutti-Quesaire, who most recently became a member of WAA (she lives in East Hartford, Connecticut, but Prescutti-Quesaire says she wants to join WAA. It was. I took it).
The work she submitted is a mixed media work titled “Grandma’s Hands” that she created in January. She said her grandmother was a healer who made remedies from her homemade roots and herbs.
To honor her grandmother, Prescutti-Quesaire created a vibrant and colorful collage of five hands placed on top of different shapes and designs. She started her work by doing what’s called a “blind drawing” — close her eyes and let go of the pen everywhere — and fill the rest with pens and markers.
“The hands are on top and everything underneath is a sign of love, comfort and hope for those who are being cared for by my grandmother’s hands,” she said.
Prescutti-Quesaire’s work, and all other works on display at Spring Salon, were selected by Juror Shawn Kenney, a graduate of Rhode Island Design School who is currently an art director, designer and illustrator.
Show visitors can also vote for the People’s Choice Awards, which will be announced on social media at the end of the exhibition.
For the exhibition of emerging artists, Healy said he submitted three works, all filmed and edited in the darkroom. Image themes range from basketball hoops to Brooklyn buildings to friends doing skateboarding tricks.
He said WAA staff encouraged him to attend the show after submitting his work to the WAA Photo Exhibition in February. This was his first jury gallery show.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity they have presented. They actually finally came to me and asked me to submit my work to this show,” Healy said. “I was really happy because I didn’t notice until that night.”
Healy, who graduated from URI this month and plans to continue filming after graduating from college, said he was excited about what was available for the Wickford Art Association’s Emerging Arts Show.
“I encouraged many friends in the arts program to apply. Just by looking at some of the great works they have done, you can imagine how great the work you plan to see at the show.” Said Healy.
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