Seeing and Believing

An Experiment in Perspective – Photographs by John Chervinsky

John Chervinsky’s still lifes are presented in the manner of a science demonstration or imaginary physics experiment. Chalk markings on blackboards are juxtaposed with real objects to create tensions between the physical world and the imaginary constructs that we use to define it.  With the illusory effect of the chalk that he creates, the markings appear to have depth, or to be floating in space, or on the surface plane of the photograph.  Rather than instructional, the chalk markings and blackboards place the work into the world of ideas.  “I see these photographs as posing questions without easy answers. My intent is not to express a single, narrow perspective, but to, among other things, expose the fallacy of doing so.”

Bio

John Chervinsky is a self taught photographer and engineer.  Since it first opened at the Griffin Museum of Photography in 2005, his “Experiment in Perspective” series has been traveling the country including solo exhibits at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Art Gallery, Batavia IL, Peer Gallery, NYC and Blue Sky Gallery, Portland OR. His work is held in numerous public and private collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Art, Portland OR; and Fidelity Investments Collection. Chervinsky spent eighteen years running a particle accelerator at Harvard and has collaborated with museums,  using accelerator technology in the analysis of art.  He currently works for Harvard University’s Rowland Institute for Science, originally founded by Polaroid’s Edwin H. Land.  His diverse scientific background is evident.

Cerealism – Photographs by Ernie Button

“Art is shaped by a person’s life experiences and I am no different.” Through early childhood, raised by a single mother who struggled to keep food on the table, it was the small things that counted for Ernie Button.  “Brand name cereal was a luxury item; Cap’n Crunch made for pure breakfast heaven.” For Button, today’s cornucopia of cereals with their colorful marshmallows and bland brown objects means “playtime.” In an homage to childhood and photography, he has construct a cereal world of landscapes and portraits that have both a magical quality and an odd sense of ‘reality’.  Much of Ernie Button’s imagery focus on the individual nature of objects and the unique qualities that each possesses.  “My images often provide a voice to objects that are ignored and are frequently overlooked or taken for granted.”

Bio:
A resident of Phoenix AZ, Ernie Button’s photographs have be exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions.  His work has been featured at Lishui International Photography Festival, Lishui, China, Modified Arts, Phoenix AZ, Rayko Photo Center, San Francisco, CA, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa AZ, Silver Eye, New Works Gallery Online, Jen Bekman Gallery / Hey Hot Shot! NYC and Anchorage Museum of History and Art. He is the recipient of many awards including the 2009 Professional Development Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts.  Among others, his work is in the collections of the Lishui Museum of Photography,  Phoenix Commission on the Arts, and Southeast Museum of Photography.