As part of the recent artPark re-design, I will be shining a spotlight on a single artist each month. For regular artPark-ers, you will recognize some of these artists but others will be completely new to you. Consider it a virtual exhibition of sorts. As always, the work we show here is for sale and worth every penny.
For March, the artPark spotlight shines on Alan Dehmer, a photographer from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Laura and I bought our first piece by Alan a number of years ago. It hangs prominently in our living room. Alan was also one of the first artists we contacted and invited to be represented by Migration. Since then, we have consistently shown Alan's one-of-a-kind photos in the Gallery, and we have exhibited his work successfully in DC and NYC.
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Other than the timeless beauty of the sites, subjects and designs of Alan's pictures (caught on 35mm or 120mm black/white film), what makes his art stand out is that he creates the prints the really old fashioned way. This makes them more personal than your regular photo. Alan uses the age old gum bichromate printing process where each step is an intuitive, creative decision performed in partnership with the elements. By veiling each image with brushed on pigments, Alan manages to strip away artifice and reveal a clearer, more beautiful truth. Equally important is the technical skill demanded by the gum bichromate process.
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A thoughtful and committed artist who has taken a circuitous route to the life of a professional fine art photographer, Alan is capturing and indeed creating images of exquisite truth and beauty. In Alan’s words: "By nature I'm inclined to alchemy, whether mixing pigments with sensitizer in the photo lab, making herbal medicines, or preparing food in the kitchen. Mixing, stirring and altering matter. Creating something from something else. I don't think there's a higher purpose in life than to create."
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What makes Alan's photos so special is that each one is entirely unique. You will not see his work appear as a numbered series. Each is one of a kind. Although he reuses a "negative", the labor intensive gum bichromate printing process requires the layering of pigments by hand to each print. Ultimately, each finished piece is different from all others. In essence, Alan is blending photography with painting.
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Sizes of Alan's work can be as small as 12" to as big as 36". Prices for these photos range from $350 to $1,500. They can be purchased unframed or framed (frames handmade by Alan himself). Please contact me for additional information.
Images above include: 1) Inis Mor, 2) Around Newgrange, 3) Hand of Man, 4) Vanishing, 5) Donagh Patrick, 6) Open Gate, 7) Homage, and 8) Leaving Nantucket.
For more images, go to Alan's photo album found on the right-hand sidebar.
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