The photographs of artist and musician James Spitznagel, will be on view at Agora Gallery, in Altered States of Reality: an Exhibition of Analog and Digital Fine Art Photography. (Opening Reception Thursday April 16, from 6 to 8m PM.)
Once described by novelist J. Robert Lennon as “making the ordinary seem alien and alienation seem ordinary,” James Spitznagel’s futuristic digital images borrow scenes from everyday life and distort them to the point that they are no longer recognizable. His photographic works are edited and modified through computer imaging techniques and employ a restricted palette, slick sense of geometry and pixilated rhythmic movement. Although seemingly cool and removed, Spitznagel’s Zen-like works are rich in emotional and personal content. Each photographic element, distorted in color and shape, originates as a found object, chosen by the artist for his particular reaction to it at a precise moment in time. Through the screen of the computer, Spitznagel then engages in an ultra-modern form of Abstract Expressionism, using gradients, cropping tools and high resolutions to illustrate the emotions the Action Painters once illustrated through paint and canvas.
Artist and musician James Spitznagel was born in Pittsburgh and has spent the past 15 years living and working in the town of Ithaca, New York.
About Altered States of Reality:
Altered States of Reality provides a glimpse of the world as captured through the lens of a camera, technology, and through the artists own inner vision. The gifted artist’s participating in Altered States of Reality offer us a perception of the world, as seen, through a complex, enigmatic fusion of emotions and technical mastery. The old boundaries have come tumbling down and the new reality has been altered and is forever changing. This exciting exhibition allows us to challenge our ideas, parables and perceptions that constitute our own reality.
Featured Artists: David Agee, Cariappa Annaiah, Apolo Anton Arauz, Marisa Atha, Montserrat Benito Segura, Flemming Hoff, Marilyn Holland, Malka Inbal, Matty Karp, Alain Lacki, Massimiliano Lattanzi, LEFT, Camila Manero, Mary Mansey, Angelina McCormick, Mari Minegishi, Allen Palmer, Beth Parin, Clint Saunders, Sylvia Schwenk, James Spitznagel, Radostina Valchanova, Shelley Vouga, Stefanie Young, Byra Zimmerman
