October 10, 2007
Solitary City @ Beverly Gallery - Q&A
This Friday evening, three local photographers combine on the show Solitary City at Beverly Gallery, the ordinarily woman-only space at 3155 Cherokee. This time out, the three shutterbugs are all fellas and they've combined to create a project in which each's work bounces off the other, as they examine architecture and the urban condition, both in St. Louis and around the world. Their show will run roughly 7-10 p.m., though you should be safe in arriving within 60-minutes of either side of that timeframe.
Two of the three participants - Brett Beckemeyer and Alan Palmer - answered some questions earlier this week via e-mail. That interview follows. After the short Q&A, Beckemeyer provides some additional thoughts on happenings around the intersection of Cherokee and Compton this Friday night.
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1) How do you three know one another?
[BB] I met Alan Palmer through a mutual friend a couple of years ago, but it was not until later that we discovered affinities in our common photography hobby. We discussed having a show together about a year ago. One day Nate Sampson noticed some of our work on my desk at the architectural firm where we both worked and that led to his joining the show.
2) How many pieces are involved for each of you?
[BB] We set a goal of around 10 photos per artist. However, this show was always intended as a collaborative dialogue; we have put together a series of tripartate works in which each artist is represented, with only a few exceptions. In total there are 34 photos, divided by three. Folks will have to come to the show to see how that math works out :)
3) How hard was it to take such vast quantities of work, only to boil the shots down to the final number?
[AP] The most difficult part of the selection process, at least in my experience with it, has been grappling with pulling photos out my own archives. As a group though, I think we've been on the same page as to which photos worked and which didn't. We've been rotating and reviewing each other's portfolios for almost a year now, and after many rounds, I think we've arrived at a cohesive collection.
4) Why this particular venue? What drew you there?
[AP] I happended to be introduced to Galen while we were in the midst of getting things together, and he was open to the idea of us putting up photography show at Beverly. Fort Gondo, Beverly, and Snowflake all have great reputations for hosting independent art, and I knew Galen would keep things DIY and allow us any artistic freedom that we needed. Oh, and the Beverly smells nice :)
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There's also an opening reception at Fort Gondo:
www.fortgondo.com/fortgondo.htm
A closing at Snowflake:
www.snowflakecitystock.com/Art_Info_Page.html
And music by Ryne Watts and Campfire Club at Beverly, at 9 p.m.