Opening Reception of Michael Levin's "Memento" with Artist in Attendance

Houston, TX - Saturday, March 29, 2014 - Thornwood Gallery, a participating space of the 2014 FotoFest Biennial, welcomes you to join us in celebrating the opening reception of the latest body of work by renowned photographer, Michael Levin. The artist will be present at the solo exhibition of "Memento" on Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 5:00-8:00 P.M.

Barry Dumka offers a beautifully worded description of Levin's transition from black and white to color photography:

"After the sharp edges and bold clarity of his black and white work, Michael Levin has bloomed into a color photographer revealing a languid interpretation of how light and color dissolve in space. Though cast in a soft, ethereal luminosity reminiscent of 19th century Romantic landscape paintings – or Delft seen by Vermeer on a cloudy day – the muted colors, vast perspectives and minimalist phrasing in these new photographs recognize a contemporary desire for contemplative awareness. There is a meditative aspect to each of the images, an allowance to situate ourselves amidst the atmospheric effects so we can gain a better appreciation of our place in this still big and rapturous world. Both radiant and translucent – and always carefully measured – Levin’s painterly use of color becomes transcendental, an emotional device meant to trigger a more visceral awareness of beauty. Rarely does the commonplace look so captivating. These new color photographs feel rarefied, enchanted and open up further expressive possibilities for Levin’s forever roving camera."

Michael Levin was born under the vast prairie sky of Western Canada in 1967. It was when he moved to the city of Vancouver that he became engaged with the potential for landscape photography. He is the recipient of numerous awards including Nature Photographer of the Year at the 2006 International Photography Awards in New York City, as well as, Fine Art Photographer of the Year at the PX3 (Prix de la Photographie) awards in Paris, France in both 2007 and 2009. His work has been featured in Black & White Photography Magazine (2005 & 2008), Focus Fine Art (2006), Shots Magazine (2009), Silvershotz Magazine (2009), and B&W Magazine (2009 & 2010). Also, his latest color work is featured in the 2013 issue of Victor, the prestigious hard-bound edition put out bi-annually by Hasselblad. Levin is represented by 18 galleries worldwide, and his debut monograph Zebrato (2005) is approaching its third printing. In reference to his latest series of color photographs, Levin states "I’ve been spending time over the last two years primarily in France, Germany and Japan trying to find my way with color. It’s like a slow romance, a courtship. I want the colors in these images to suggest the muted palette that I admire in 19th century landscape painting. But I’m a modernist and also like when color bristles with energy. These photographs are about the possibility of color – how it can be both old and new again."