Unexpected New York

I’ve recently seen a show of fine art photography that I feel is exceptional. The gallery is the Umbrella Arts at 317 East 9th Street in Manhattan, and the photographer is Ronald Gehrmann. Mr. Gehrmann blazes his own trails throughout New York. He takes his camera around the corner and down the ally, and discovers rich, colorful and dramatic, cityscapes in the profusion of city details that mostly go unnoticed by other busy New Yorkers.

It seems likely that the photographer has been inspired by the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi; which is the beauty to be found in the old and time-worn. Mr. Gehrmann’s photographs are most often semi-abstractions of architectural subjects aging and returning to a state of nature. Others have photographed similar subjects but Gerhmann’s sharp eye and keen intelligence never fail to compose elements of texture, form and color into unique and almost classically proportioned imagery.

His large images are boldly printed with gorgeous colors, and I imagine his photographs would be especially effective hanging in contemporary New York apartments or businesses.

This emerging master photographer’s work will be on display until Nov. 25, 2012.

See the gallery website at…
<http://www.umbrellaarts.com/exhibitions/falling-together-falling-apart-urban-artifacts>