In February 2022, Lehigh Valley Press reviewed Paradoxes of Time, a group photography exhibition shown at Arthaus at the Mezz. The exhibition featured work by photographers Gary Asteak, Matthew Blum, and Peter Gourniak, and was curated by Deborah Rabinsky.
The exhibition explored different interpretations of time through photographic process, subject matter, and presentation. Gary Asteak’s work documented life in Krapivna, a small rural village in Russia that appeared largely untouched by modernity. His photographs, created during an Earthwatch project, focused on the daily lives, traditions, and quiet resilience of the villagers.
My contribution included Winter Tree (2020), a palladium print depicting a snow-covered tree frozen in place. Although the image originated digitally, it was printed using a palladium process dating back to the 1890s, creating a visual tension between contemporary capture and historical technique.
Peter Gourniak’s photographs examined industrial environments, particularly abandoned sections of the Bethlehem Steel plant. His work combined digital photography with experimental printing methods on aluminum and other materials, emphasizing texture, surface, and abstraction. Several of his pieces intentionally avoided titles, allowing viewers to bring their own interpretations to the work.
Together, the exhibition highlighted how photographic tools—both old and new—can be used to reflect on memory, industry, tradition, and the passage of time.
The exhibition concluded on February 5, 2022.
Read the original article by Ed Courrier at Lehigh Valley Press: https://www.lvpnews.com/20220211/gallery-view-paradoxes-of-time-photographed
