Photographers with city perspectives

By Pam Rosenblatt

Urban Interpretations, a photography exhibit exploring the human behavior, diversity, spirit, rhythms and patterns of everyday life in a densely populated urban environment is in its final week at the Nave Gallery, ending on Sept. 28. But the show does not end there as it moves on to the Mayor’s Office in City Hall from Oct. 4 through Dec. 6.

Curator Michelle Fiorenza said the relationship between people and their physical urban surroundings and the ensuing impact is reflected throughout the show.

Well-known Somerville photographer Gary Duehr said he is very excited about being part of ‚ÄúUrban Interpretations.‚Äù ‚ÄúI love it,‚Äù he said.  ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs really fun to see how many different approaches there are to how people see a city.‚Äù He said he is impressed with the wide range of ideas in the show.

Duehr has one large scale 2 ’ x 7’ photograph called “Red Car [diptych]” on display in “Urban Interpretations” at the Nave Gallery. The work was taken with a one mega pixel camera, and then blown up.

He developed the idea of taking cell phone pictures from everyday newspapers after purchasing a new camera phone and thought it would be fun to take pictures everyday while he read the newspaper, he said.

“It’s a way of doing a cultural scan of what’s happening,” Duehr said. “From the world, from art, from painting, even more than from a photograph. Just from what happens in the world everyday.”

Fiorenza said, “Gary Duehr’s large scale cell phone photograph, ‘Red Car [diptych]’ is both powerful and graphic. It is difficult to look at and at the same time difficult to look away from. This image depicts the hardness of living in an urban environment. Duehr’s diptych compels us to take a longer look at this hardness.”

Duehr was first introduced to photography when he graduated from college and was given a camera from his father as a present.  He went on to receive a degree in photography from Southern Illinois University and a M.F.A. in poetry from the Writers Workshop at University of Iowa. He often combines the two disciplines in his artworks.

To Duehr, Nave Gallery is a wonderful resource to Somerville. ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs one of three galleries showing local artists,‚Äù he said. ‚ÄúAnd the exhibition is mostly by local artists reflecting what it is to live in cities.‚Äù Duehr has lived in Somerville since 1984. 

Peg Tuitt is another Somerville resident exhibiting in “Urban Interpretations.” She has lived in Somerville more than 15 years. Working in the field of academic administration, she is a documentary photographer who shoots mainly in black and white film, using color sometimes.

“I am a ‘film’ photographer,” Tuitt said. “I really enjoy the intrinsic magic and mystery of the traditional darkroom process.”

Tuitt has not limited her artistic experiences to simply photography though. “I have explored traditional arts such as letterpress, bookmaking, weaving, sewing, and most recently handbag design,” she said. “I seem to be attracted to textile intensive arts.”

She said the prospect of the show continuing after it closes at the Nave Gallery  on September 28 is exciting.

“Traveling the exhibit is wonderful,” she said. “The central location of Somerville City Hall will give the work exposure to a much broader audience. I look forward to the feedback.”

Fiorenza said, ‚ÄúPeg Tuitt‚Äôs black and white photographs convey the very essence of Havana, Cuba. She is able to capture on film the spirit, and soul of both the Cuban people  and environment. Her photograph, ‚ÄòBarrio Life I, Havana, CUBA‚Äô provokes the viewer to re-examine ordinary elements like motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians all sharing the road and going about their daily business. The blur of a bicyclist on the left side evokes a sense of mystery and demonstrates her mastery of the medium.‚Äù

Tuitt came up with the idea to photograph Havana’s culture, people, and architecture when she decided to attend a unique arts education program at the University Of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. The program had her thoroughly immerse herself into the art and culture of another country for 10 days, said Tuitt.

“My intent as I embarked on this project was to capture the essence of what is Cuban – its everyday life. Arriving with no preconceptions,” she said, “I was a voyeur in the truest sense. Over 10 days I made hundreds of photo-sketches a day. I opened my lenses and my heart to experience and document all I encountered moving throughout.”

An example of Tuitt’s talent is seen in her approach to photographing Havana, as compared to taking pictures in Somerville. “When you go to new place, one’s natural instinct is to search for the familiar – what you know. However, what you discover most striking in a place like Cuba are the contrasts and the unexpected. Your senses are heightened. You are extremely aware of everything,” Tuitt said.

She journeyed to Cuba with little expectations and did almost no research. She tried to maintain an open mind but found herself influenced by what she had heard about Cuba over the course of her life in the United States, she said. Finally, she wanted to create her own impressions of Havana through her personal experiences, she said.

Tuitt took over 10 rolls of film per day. And, while the process was exhausting,
the end result was a rewarding one. She eventually got to exhibit her photography in the “Urban Interpretations” exhibition at the Nave Gallery.