Submitted photo "Bodyscape No. 1," by David Lee Meyers, for "The Photographic Nude" at LightBox Photographic Gallery.

ASTORIA – LightBox Photographic Gallery presents the “The Photographic Nude,” an exhibition of photographic prints exploring the artistic and creative view of the body and its form, dedicated to the creative spirit of Ruth Bernhard. The exhibit will open with an artists’ reception at a special time, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday April 8, at the gallery. The gallery will also be open from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9, during Astoria’s Second Saturday Art Walk. More than 50 photographers from North America and several from Astoria and the North Coast have been accepted into the show. The exhibit will run until June 5, with many special speakers and events to be held during the run of the show.

Cherie Hiser, renowned photographer and curator from Portland, will serve as the juror for this show. Robert Burrill, photographer/filmmaker from Milpitas, Calif., has been invited by the gallery as a featured artist. Burrill was a longtime friend of Bernhard; he produced her biographical film, “Illuminations.” Showings of this film will be scheduled during April. Contact the gallery about this and other special events during the show or visit lightbox-photographic.com/shows/the_photographic_nude for show details. LightBox is located at 1045 Marine Drive.

JUROR’S STATEMENT

“This exhibit, The Photographic Nude,’ was inspired by the legendary work of Ruth Bernhard, who lived during the 20th century and left us recently when 100 years young. She was hailed by Ansel Adams as the greatest photographer of the nude,’ and devoted her life to celebrating the unclothed figure with eloquent light and creativity as well as taught thousands of rapt students with her gentleness and sensitivity.

“Generations of artists have struggled with the nude.’ In my opinion, in the medium of photography it is the most difficult challenge. There are formidable tasks for many reasons: it seems to start with individual perceptions the viewing audience brings, also the technical and personal precepts of the model, the artist and the camera. Nothing about it is easy.

“As both friend and student of Ruth Bernhard’s, I am honored having been selected to jury this show. There were times when I asked for encouragement to use my own vision and taste…certainly in juxtaposition to Ruth’s classical vision. I heard many times It’s YOUR show, Cherie, go for it’! At times I felt a real juxtaposition. It would not have been difficult to curate with Ruth’s sensitivities as a guide, but I had the freedom to acknowledge a path of discovery where her passion and ceaseless exploration of the magic has led me. Ruth said: My mission has been to raise, to elevate, to endorse with timeless reverence the nude image.’ And she did. I was fortunate enough with this show to find some circumstances within that mission to honor the playfulness of myself, the photographer, the field, the camera or the audience. I am hopeful you will experience some of that as well.

“Two hundred seventy-six images from North America were submitted for inclusion into this 62-piece show! These artists were amongst those who answered the call, whatever it means to them, from the Mom or Dad who innocently made a picture of their baby whose diapers accidently dropped to serious and experienced artists working very hard, intuitively, passionately, experimenting, struggling, sacrificing, taking risks to produce what works for them.

“In the jurying process, I found myself surprisingly inconsistent. With some pieces, it was all about history. Have we seen that before? Some were about what the camera can do, or it was a fleeting, haunting glance, some sarcastic joke, a piece of dust, the shock value. There were times I heard something one of my teachers said long ago which suddenly made sense.

“Kudos to Michael and Chelsea – the LightBox Gallery is first class: it honors not only Astoria and the Pacific Northwest, it is a gift to the United States and the medium of photography!”

Cherie Hiser – Juror

During the past four decades, Cherie Hiser has become widely respected as an innovator and visioneer in the field of photography. She is internationally recognized as a photographer, educator, curator, consultant, writer and networker. Her own art education began by attending programs at the Portland Art Museum after completion of a university degree in clinical psychology. Her first teachers were Minor White, Ruth Bernhard and Imogen Cunningham.

Cherie became impassioned with the medium, and in 1968 founded “The Center of the Eye” in Aspen, which at the time, was quoted to be “the most influential photography workshop in the world.” Encouraged by Ansel Adams, she was the first director of the photography program and gallery at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities, in 1974. In Santa Fe, N.M., she founded the “Center of the Eye Collaborative Workshops and Gallery,” followed 20 years later in Portland, in 1996, with “Photoworks Northwest,” another innovative nonprofit photography program.

Cherie’s work has been exhibited and published widely, from small presses to National Geographic magazine. Her prints are in numerous public and private collections. She has received many honors, including a residency at the Visual Studies Workshop in New York; a grant from the Polaroid Foundation to work with hospitalized mental patients and photography. In 1998, she was elected one of 12 artists in the United States for the National Photographer/Humanitarian of the Year award. She is a founding board member of Photolucida and a member of the Photo Council of the Portland Art Museum, and was a trustee of Ansel Adams’ Friends of Photography organization for five years.

Cherie is sought after as a curator and juror of exhibitions. The professional relationships and friendships she maintains today are longstanding and influential. Jeanne Adams has been an important mentor and muse; Lee Friedlander calls her a “photo evangelist” and Cornell Capa states, “She is one of the most vital persons of our time.” Paul Magnusson, Ph.D., former president of Oregon College of Arts and Crafts writes: “…she has given a generation of photographers the chance to explore the evolution of their work…she is the quintessential teacher.” As a reviewer, Cherie is especially interested in “edgy” work which takes risks and which comments on societal concerns, secrets and restrictions, although she enjoys looking at all types of work.

Robert Burrill – Featured Artist

Robert Burrill was born in Washington, D.C., and was raised in sunny California where he was inspired at an early age by the magic of Walt Disney and his father’s frequent use of his camera. He became involved in photography in 1969 when he first instructed high school students and wrote the school’s curriculum, titled “Four Views on Photography.” Two years later, in 1971, he completed his master’s degree in film (as a graphic art form) and extended his teaching to adult education. Realizing that experience is the best teacher, Burrill secured a number of commercial accounts, producing a comprehensive “professional” portfolio.

Having mastered cinematography, Burrill turned his new creative tool toward his photographic teacher-colleagues and produced a series of film vignettes on local master photographers to share with his students. This list includes Morley Baer, Ruth Bernhard, David Cavagnaro, Steve Crouch and Al Weber. Then, in 1984, Burrill worked in partnership with Ruth Bernhard to complete her feature length autobiographic film, “Illuminations: Ruth Bernhard, Photographer.” The film premiered in 1989 at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco and on local PBS station KQED in 1990.

Over the years, Burrill’s vision was greatly sharpened, his technique refined with exceptional emphasis on composition and historical importance. Today he is busy digitally printing his own fine art photographs, has written two books on local history, and makes and distributes films in DVD depicting the magic of art and the creative process.

Gallery Statement

LightBox Photographic Gallery has been influenced to create “The Photographic Nude” exhibit for two reasons. The first is the “Au Naturel” show at Clatsop Community College. “Au Naturel” is in its fifth year and has established itself as one of the finest group shows of the artistic nude, consisting of painting and drawing. LightBox wished to develop a show for the artistic nude in the medium of photography, highlighting the importance of the genre in the photographic arts. The nude in photographic art is a study of the human body, concentrating on form and emotion, using lighting, composition and subject to emote the artistic expression.

LightBox was also influenced after being exposed to the biographical film “Illuminations,” documenting the life and photographic works of Ruth Bernhard. Robert Burrill shared the film with LightBox last year during a show for Astoria resident Dwight Caswell. The works of Ruth Bernhard in the genre of the photographic nude and her amazing creative spirit helped LightBox to commit to establishing this show and they have dedicated it in her honor. LightBox is proud to have established “The Photographic Nude” and plans to make this an annual event at the gallery.