Twenty Five Years

Artist: HARRY GOLDSTROM

Twenty Five Years: A Photographic Landscape Retrospective

Join us for a free Artist Reception with the artist, Harry Goldstrom, on Thursday December 14 at 6:30pm. Enjoy light refreshments, explore the exhibit, and meet the artist in person!

Artist Statement

Photographically I believe there is a symbiotic relationship between the landscape and music, particularly my favorites of Celtic, Classical, and Jazz.  I first became aware of this during my college years as geology major when my interest in photography became serious.  In photographing the landscape, I find the elements of form and symmetry to be omnipresent and as a result continually make the comparison between a symphony of the landscape and a musical score.

The inter-twining of these two art forms evokes similar feelings within me.  Photographing a stand of trees at dusk brings to mind a Loreena McKennitt composition, a Niamh Parsons piece, a haunting Enya score, or a Ralph Vaughn Williams orchestral composition in a quiet and reflective moment. Conversely, photographing a scene created by dynamic geologic forces or manmade abandoned structures evokes works of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis.  Musicians create emotion with scores and instruments.  My attempts to convey emotion consist of capturing the ubiquitous form and light which comprise both the natural and abandoned landscapes.

Although traditional in the sense that my work follows in time only the classic masters of Weston and Adams, I find great individuality and freedom of expression in completing any given photograph.  While I enjoy immensely the mechanics of the process, of greater significance is the fact that I revel in spending time at the places where I choose to photograph.  My photographs represents not only how I envisioned a given scene but also my attempt to convey the emotion felt while I was viewing one symphony and simultaneously listening to another.

By sharing this collection of photographs then, the intent is that emotion will be evoked within and pondered by the viewer.  Perhaps then the work will have served some purpose other than merely for my own enjoyment.

So much the better…..

Harry Goldstrom – Artist Bio

From my earliest recollections as a child I’ve had an interest in photography.  As a 7 year old I used a Kodak brownie in the Grand Tetons to capture my first photos.  During my high school years I was continually asking my Dad to borrow his Argus C3 for my exploits as my fascination with photography grew. Toward the end of my college days in Madison, Wisconsin I had bought my first SLR camera and was using a fellow student’s closet darkroom (with no running water) to process my first black and white prints.  The experience was exhilarating.

Many years passed before I had access to another darkroom, and I had become interested in progressing to using larger film formats.  Then in 1989 I was fortunate enough to encounter one of those life changing events……I walked into a Seattle camera store and met a photographer who would forever impact my life.  He offered advanced classes in black and white photography, encouraged me to progress to large format view cameras, allowed me use of his darkroom, and assisted installing one in my home.  The ensuing years were filled with attending and teaching workshops while continually working to improve my photography.

My format of choice is 4×5, although I also work in 6×6 cm and some occasional 5×7.  In today’s increasingly digital world, I much prefer continuing to work with traditional film and chemical processing.  I become just as excited today as I first did over 40 years ago watching a print come up in the developing tray or looking at a negative as I take it from the fixer.  The process continues to be a source of great enjoyment – as much if not more than the field experience of taking the photograph.

And as for the Argus C-3 that I started with all those years ago, I’m happy to report it now lives in my camera collection-albeit with a broken shutter.