Delaware News

The Mezzanine Gallery to exhibit Don James’ “Beyond the Facade: Architectural Portraits”

News | Date Posted: Friday, June 7, 2024


Don James Mezzanine Gallery

Wilmington, Del.  – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents Don James’ exhibition, “Beyond the Facade: Architectural Portraits,” on view from June 7-28, 2024. Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, June 7 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Don James, from Milton, Delaware, is a photographer who finds inspiration in natural, industrial, and urban environments, being drawn to subjects that are readily accessible, but usually go unnoticed. He has been influenced by the photographs of Brett Weston, Aaron Siskind, and William Garnett, as well as artworks by Precisionist painters and photographers of the early twentieth century. Don’s photographs have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in the mid-Atlantic region and online.

Don started photographing architecture in 2019 while on road trips to several east coast cities. His attraction to the buildings and other structures was rooted in his background as an engineer, but he quickly embraced the challenge of artistically finding and expressing each subject’s “personality”. His goal is to amplify the impact of the whole by revealing the structure and elegance of the parts. He uses weather, the time of day, and even the time of year as tools to deliver the light to greatest effect on his subjects.

His photographic process is digital; however, he does a minimal amount of post-processing, comparable to the basic manipulations used in making traditional darkroom prints.

“I am not a “city person”. The noise, traffic, and crowds are too intense for me to feel comfortable. But I can’t resist wandering city streets, wading through the first layer of chaos, in order to study a world full of orderly structures, reflections, and interplay of light and shadow, but also of decay, disruption, and change,” said James. “Each subject I photograph has its own personality: modern glass-encased buildings, some open and inviting, others mysterious; thousand-foot high monoliths towering over 19th century neighbors; repurposed survivors that have evolved to remain useful in the 21st-century; icons of the golden age of commerce that have closed their doors forever. I find architectural marvels, new and old, that are both elegant and functional, with impressive examples of craftsmanship”.

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located on the second floor of the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

Images in the banner: “Cloudy Day” (2019), photography, 16” x 20”

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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The Mezzanine Gallery to exhibit Don James’ “Beyond the Facade: Architectural Portraits”

News | Date Posted: Friday, June 7, 2024


Don James Mezzanine Gallery

Wilmington, Del.  – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents Don James’ exhibition, “Beyond the Facade: Architectural Portraits,” on view from June 7-28, 2024. Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, June 7 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Don James, from Milton, Delaware, is a photographer who finds inspiration in natural, industrial, and urban environments, being drawn to subjects that are readily accessible, but usually go unnoticed. He has been influenced by the photographs of Brett Weston, Aaron Siskind, and William Garnett, as well as artworks by Precisionist painters and photographers of the early twentieth century. Don’s photographs have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in the mid-Atlantic region and online.

Don started photographing architecture in 2019 while on road trips to several east coast cities. His attraction to the buildings and other structures was rooted in his background as an engineer, but he quickly embraced the challenge of artistically finding and expressing each subject’s “personality”. His goal is to amplify the impact of the whole by revealing the structure and elegance of the parts. He uses weather, the time of day, and even the time of year as tools to deliver the light to greatest effect on his subjects.

His photographic process is digital; however, he does a minimal amount of post-processing, comparable to the basic manipulations used in making traditional darkroom prints.

“I am not a “city person”. The noise, traffic, and crowds are too intense for me to feel comfortable. But I can’t resist wandering city streets, wading through the first layer of chaos, in order to study a world full of orderly structures, reflections, and interplay of light and shadow, but also of decay, disruption, and change,” said James. “Each subject I photograph has its own personality: modern glass-encased buildings, some open and inviting, others mysterious; thousand-foot high monoliths towering over 19th century neighbors; repurposed survivors that have evolved to remain useful in the 21st-century; icons of the golden age of commerce that have closed their doors forever. I find architectural marvels, new and old, that are both elegant and functional, with impressive examples of craftsmanship”.

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located on the second floor of the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

Images in the banner: “Cloudy Day” (2019), photography, 16” x 20”

###

 

Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.