Obscura Gallery is thrilled to welcome Debbie Fleming Caffery back to Santa Fe for a Summer solo exhibition, Portraits of Birds, a beloved project Debbie has undertaken most of her career. At a young age growing up on the Bayou Teche in Louisiana, Debbie was inspired by her grandfather, who raised doves, pigeons, and chickens and took her on day trips to visit wild birds. Throughout Debbie’s career, she continued her passion for these creatures, photographing birds in many varied settings:  living wild in Louisiana, freed from animal markets in Mexico, and most recently rehabilitated as Avian Ambassadors in New Mexico. Debbie brings the same sensitivity into this stunning collection of black and white gelatin silver portraits of birds as she is known for when photographing people of various cultures.

VIEW THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION HERE.

The artist reception takes place on Friday, July 7 from 5-7pm.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE.

VIEW THE ENTIRE BIRD PORTFOLIO HERE.

A select survey of photogravures representing over a century, with prints dating from as early as 1897 to contemporary prints made in 2023. The earliest print in this exhibition is by Alfred Stieglitz from his 1897 portfolio Picturesque Bits of New York and Other Studies created from a steel plate.  The most recent work included in the exhibition are 2023 abstract prints of New Mexico and Patagonia created from polymer plates by Santa Fean Eddie Soloway.

The photogravure is an intaglio print process that, in the early development of photography, was invented to produce high-quality ink reproductions of photographs, featuring deep shadows and luminous highlights. Early photographic pioneers Joseph Nicéphore Niepce and William Henry Fox Talbot invented the process in the 1840s, and then it was perfected in 1879 by Karl V. KlíÄ. Traditionally, photogravures were photographs that were etched into a metal plate using light sensitive carbon tissue. The plate was then inked and run through a printing press to produce a positive ink print known for its distinctive, luminous tonal qualities. With most contemporary photogravures, the metal plates have been replaced with polymer plates and other less toxic chemicals are used in the process.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE.

VIEW THE WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION HERE.

Still Beauty is a three-person photographic exhibition representing the beauty found within the cold, quiet, short days of winter. The exhibition includes two gallery artists, California-based Brigitte Carnochan and New Jersey-based Michael Massaia, as well as guest artist Jim Bailey, from New Mexico.

Brigitte Carnochan’s series Still Beauty, from which the show derives its title, includes luminous color still lifes that she creates from plants she grows in her garden. Michael Massaia captures the images for his large format gelatin silver prints during quiet hours of the night in Central Park, New York City.  In his printing, he adds subtle color through meticulous use of special darkroom toning techniques. Jim Bailey combines the extremes of climbing and ski mountaineering in Norway, France and the United States with photographic artistry, contrasting human interaction with other-worldly landscapes.

The opening reception takes place on Friday, January 27, 2023 from 5-7pm and the show continues through April 1, 2023. Brigitte Carnochan and Jim Bailey will be in attendance at the reception.

VIEW ALL THE WORK IN THE EXHIBITION HERE.

VIEW THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE.

EXHIBITION EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY 14, 2023

Obscura Gallery announces our second annual Winter Holiday exhibition, One-of-a-Kind II, a group show of unique photo-based artworks found exclusively at our gallery. The exhibition consists of six contemporary artists producing one-of-a-kind artworks through various photo-based processes. This year’s exhibit features William Albert Allard (U.S), Angie Brockey (U.S),  Coco Fronsac (France), Lori Henson (U.S and Mexico), Erin McGean (Canada), and Robert Stivers (U.S).  The exhibition reception takes place on Friday, November 25, from 5-7pm.

In the 21^st Century we are most familiar with photography as a medium enabling multiple prints of the same image.  Yet many of the photographic processes that were used in the 19^th and 20^th Century yielded one-of-a-kind prints.  In some cases, the processes made a singular print for each exposure; in other cases, the treatment of prints during production led to singular images.   Included in this exhibition are 1980’s vintage Polaroid positive prints, contemporary tintypes, early 20^th Century gelatin silver prints with contemporary mixed media, photo collage, encaustic, and  hand-applied surface texture to gelatin silver prints.

VIEW THE WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION HERE.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE.

Obscura Gallery is excited to present a solo exhibition by fine art portrait photographer Rashod Taylor, which includes his two poignant and sensitive projects, Little Black Boy and My America. Through the use of wet-darkroom printing methods including the 19^th Century wet-plate collodion process as well as the enlarging process on gelatin silver paper, the artist uses portraiture to express themes of family, culture, legacy, and the black experience.

RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST:

Friday, September 23, 2022
4pm – Gallery walk-thru with the artist
5-7pm – Reception with the artist
Please join us in welcoming Rashod Taylor to Santa Fe for the first time and let’s celebrate his solo exhibition!

The exhibition is on view September 23 through November 20, 2022.

ONLINE INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST:

Online Zoom interview with Rashod Taylor – learn more about the work in his solo exhibition, My America.

VIEW THE WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION HERE.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE.

Obscura Gallery is excited to present a community book signing event for Taos, New Mexico artist Jonathan Blaustein with his photographic book, Extinction Party (Yoffy Press). This photographic book explores humanity’s over-consumption and its impact on the planet. In an unprecedented time of the Covid-19 pandemic, Extinction Party was (coincidentally and appropriately) released in March 2020 and named one of BuzzFeed News’ best books of 2020. Obscura Gallery held an intimate exhibition during the 2020 book launch, however we are excited to re-present this book again to the public, in post-pandemic times, to give it the honor it deserves. With the photo essay – the images and titles – and the forward essay by Kevin Kwan, as well as the metaphorical story in between, the book could not be a more timely commentary on the current state of our Earth and humanity.

**We invite those who did not have a chance to get their book signed during the pandemic to please bring it to the event to have the artist sign their copy. Books will be available for purchase and signing as well. In addition we will host a raffle offering up a signed copy of the book and special give-aways.