‘Then and Now’ Juror Bio: Joel Meyerowitz

Light caught through a split-second shutter mystifies and endures at the new contemporary photography exhibit currently on display at the Copley Society of Art. Subjects submerged in water pull us into eerie dreams; stark black and whites highlight contrasts, while shades of grey grace us with comfort; crisp, vivid colors align themselves among creatively composed shapes of penetrating shadows.  Viewers will be magically drawn into past and current worlds in all new ways. 

Juror's Choice: I Become You by Michael Seif

This beautiful and cohesive collection of photographs comprises Co|So’s new exhibit, “Then & Now: The Enduring Allure of Light in Photography,” juried by Joel Meyerowitz.

Image credit: Joel Meyerowitz

Meyerowitz is a well known street photographer from New York City, who is particularly recognized for his use of color photography.  He began his artistic career in 1960’s Bronx, New York.  He began experimenting with color and developing techniques at a time when colored photographs were not considered a ‘serious’ form of art, while black and white images were more widely accepted as art. Despite popular culture, Meyerowitz continued to exercise his artistic abilities in color photography.  He began teaching his techniques and theories on color in art and photography at Cooper Union in the East Village of Manhattan during the 1970’s.  

Juror's Choice: Tangled Two by Andrea Kemler

In a way, Meyerowitz revolutionized the art world’s view of color in photography.  He forced the art world to recognize colored photographs as a high form of art, comparable to the artistic merit granted to that of black and white images.  Meyerowitz, along with fellow artist friends Stephen Shore and William Eggleston, greatly influenced future photographers and artists to experiment even more with color and to accept this practice as an identifiable and significant form of art.

Juror's Choice: The Fallen 19 by Lark Carrier

Light is another key element in Meyerowitz’s work, and he selected the photographs on display as evocations of the continued importance of light as a photographic subject.  "Then & Now: The Enduring Allure of Light in Photography" will be on display at the Copley Society of Art through October 6, 2011. Click HERE to view the online exhibition.