I recently had the opportunity to see the Photo 2005 show at the Ellipse Arts Center in Arlington. The Web site states:
A regional juried photo exhibition of the works of photographers from Maryland, Virginia, D.C. and West Virginia, juried by Volkmar K. Wentzel, a photographer and writer for National Geographic for 48 years. He traveled to every continent during his tenure, including a 2 year 40,000 mile "photo survey" of India. His book Washington By Night, a critically acclaimed exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, remains a hugely popular portfolio. An exhibition of his work will be at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Spring, 2006.
This is a very, very poor showing of photography, in my opinion. It's entirely too safe and too expected. No offense intended to Art League artists, but it seems that Mr. Wentzel cared more about being inclusive than presenting the best quality show, much like the monthly exhibits at the Art League in Alexandria. Photos are stacked upon each other and crammed into every nook and cranny of the space. There are very few pieces that demonstrate any thought or vision at all. For the most part, I felt this was a show of Sunday afternoon hobbyists.
There are good works in the show, don't get me wrong. But it was almost impossible to see them for all of the distractions of utter crap. I would have much preferred to have a quarter of the pieces that were juried in and give them adequate space to breathe. Alas, the show is a mess.
Finally, a special, personal note to artists. If your frame cost 4-times more than what anyone would pay for just the photograph, you may have a problem. If this show succeeds on one front, it's to illustrate how NOT to frame contemporary photography. I can't believe some people choose to frame their work in such gaudy frames.
Mr. Wentzel may have made several friends by selecting so many artists to show, but he sacrificed the quality and integrity of the exhibition. It's not show to go see. Don't bother!
(A side note: I spoke to the gallery director and she informed me that they do not plan on charging a fee to play mini-golf during their summer exhibit. They may suggest you make a donation, but it will not be required... just as I hoped and thought.)
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