Panorama

Ruth Jageman Panorama Juried Art Exhibit of the Erie Summer Festival of the Arts

Having received a hand written invitation from the Director of this event inviting me to submit work to the show, I quickly chose three photographs and sent in the necessary information!  The photographs entered were from my series of Erie’s Industrial Buildings; GAF, Erie Coke Company, and the Erie Forge.  All three pieces were accepted and on display in the Schuster Gallery located on Gannon University’s Campus in downtown Erie.

I was awarded Best of Photography for my photograph of Erie Coke Company.  Below is the juror’s statement from the show catalogue.

Best of Photography – The Vincent & Joseph Palermo Memorial Award

Award to Amelia Patsy for her silver gelatin photograph, Erie Coke Company.  My eyes were drawn to the strong black and white abstract quality of the images.  Kline-like in its simplicity.

2011 has been quite the year when it comes to getting my artwork out on display!  It has been very encouraging and exciting to have won a few awards, and to know that my work is being recognized and remembered in the art community in Erie.

Gallery Night was a Success!

Thanks to help from family and friends I got everything hung and in place with a few minutes to spare!  There was a a great turn out despite some rain, but I got to meet some amazing people.  I found that I got the most reaction out of the older generation, but also an overall positive reaction from everyone who came in to view my work.  It was interesting hearing the stories and connections the older generation had with the buildings I had photographed.  Overall I was very happy with the show!

Upcoming Event – Gallery Night!

June 10, 2011

Hosted by the Erie Art Museum

A selection of my black and white photographic work will be featured at the

Allen Stoneware Gallery.

Come check it out!

*for more information visit http://www.erieartmuseum.org/

2011 Barber National Institute Art Show

 

“Celebrating the Possibilities”

Fourth Annual Community Art Show at the Barber National Institute!

I recently submitted work to two art shows and was chosen to exhibit at the 2011 Art Show at the Barber National Institute.

 

I received an Honorable Mention award for my photograph of Hammermill located in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Slowly but surely I am getting my work out there for people to see and enjoy!

Edgewood Farm

I came across these images a few days ago.  They were taken in 2008 at a farm in Alfred which belongs to two very special people.  After photographing for a few days I noticed I had been taking a landscape view of the farm as well as a detail from the image…thus creating a diptych.  These images were shot with Adox 35mm black and white film.  Click on the images to see a larger view.

Grandma Sugar’s House

Below are some of the photographs I had taken a few years ago at my Grandmother’s house.  She recently passed away on July 6, 2010 exactly one month before she turned 87 years old.  I am proud to be named after such an amazing woman, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother!

Installation View

These are images from the actual show.

Senior Show Work

I recently completed my senior thesis exhibition at Alfred University.  These are the images and the artist statement that were included in my show.  The images were separated into three separate series; Street level buildings (7), Industries connected to the rail system (4), and Buildings down by the bayfront (3).

Artist Statement

Elliott Erwitt stated in an interview for Aperture Magazine, “I don’t believe that photography can change the world, but it can show the world changing.”  In this body of work, I am documenting the lost industrial scene in my hometown, Erie, Pennsylvania.  I documented how the area changed over time by solely focusing on the building itself without any extra distractions to specifically date the images.  Many of the older buildings are no longer functioning, however, there are a few industrial sites which are still in use.  I researched these industrial sites through personal stories, old magazines, and newspaper articles.

I began working around familiar places and locations that have a history or unique background.  Most of these buildings are familiar because they are structures I passed every day.  I have a different connection to other buildings because of anecdotes my family has told me about working in some of these old factories.  These stories were about the job environment and co-workers, as well as the songs my Grandmother and the other factory workers used to sing while working during the World War II era.  Along with the anecdotes, I find the effect weather and time have on these old buildings to be intriguing, giving them character.  My photographs tend to be void of people and vehicles that could potentially date my images.  I strive to capture the building or place that I am photographing for what it is today, whether abandoned or used for a different type of company than originally intended.

My focus is traditional black and white photography.  I enjoy the technical aspect of working directly with film and processing the images in the darkroom.  Being able to personally manipulate the images to represent the buildings as they are seen today is the most satisfying aspect of working in this medium.

Eugene Atget

Eugene Atget was a French born orphan.  He tried a few different professions such as being a sailor and then an actor.  He photographed as a form of income.  I studied Eugene Atget’s photography while I was abroad in Florence, Italy and fell in love with a few of his images.  He has this sort of surreal approach to some of his images which I find to be fascinating.  I also like that he photographs a place such as Paris, France and manages to capture a city in a way that is not normally pictured.  Many of his photographs do not represent the busy streets of Paris, yet the open clear intersections with maybe a person or two present.  Its not what one would expect.  I find that in my own work I never end up having people in my images unless they’re a silhouette or very hidden.  It is not a conscious thing but something I have noticed.  I think because of this similarity in my own work I am able to relate to some of his photographs in a different way.  I had the opportunity to see a few of his prints at the George Eastman house in Rochester, New York a few days ago.  The prints were incredible!  If I have another chance to go back and explore the archives some more I plan to do so.  It makes the images more real when you can actually see them in person.  Below are a few images that I found representing Atget’s work.