Pensacola Museum of Art
Pensacola, FL
850-432-6247
http://www.artsnwfl.org/pma/
Anna Tomczak and Rebecca Sexton Larson:
Manipulated Photography Exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of Art
January 4 - February 12, 2000
On Tuesday, January 4, the Pensacola
Museum of Art opens Anna Tomczak and Rebecca Sexton Larson, a two-person
show of contemporary photography. Both artists, current Florida residents,
are recognized for their large format manipulated photography. Although
the museum patron will sense similarities in the work of both artists, Tomczak
and Larson each have their own distinct approach to fine art photography.
Anna
Tomczak's recent work utilizes Polaroid transfers, made from the Polaroid
20 x 24 camera. The medium itself is quite an impressive achievement, considering
there
are less than ten 20 x 24 Polaroid cameras in existence. Artists often use
the Polaroid Artist Support Program, part of the Polaroid Cultural Division,
just to have access to such equipment. Working in this medium allows Tomczak
to explore a range of creative possibilities in her images. In describing
this new format Tomczak commented: "With the impressive 20 x 24 Polaroid
camera, I am able to paint, construct, envision, fantasize, and 'transfer'
my ideas onto the piece of paper...There is a certain richness of color,
combined with the visual clarity achieved with this camera and process,
that I intend to explore as thoroughly as possible." (left:
© Anna Tomczak, Gifts of Gold and Pastel, 1996, 24 x 20 inch
image transfer photograph / watercolor paper; right: © Anna Tomczak,
Pascal NYC, 1999, 24 x 20 inch image transfer photograph / watercolor
paper)
Tomczak,
a resident of Lake Helen, Florida, earned a MFA in Fine Arts Photography
from the University of Florida. She has her work represented in numerous
collections, including the Brooklyn, Orlando, Polk, and Tampa museums, as
well as corporate collections such as Sony, Sunbank, R.J. Reynolds, the
Mayo 
Clinic,
and IBM. She has had solo exhibitions since 1986 and has also been part
of several group shows. Tomczak has received many traveling and teaching
fellowships around the world, including those from the NEA. Rebecca Sexton
Larson first explored photography while working toward her BA in Painting
at the University of South Florida. With her continued interest in photography
she soon after completed a degree in Photojournalism as well. (left:
© Anna Tomczak, Trisha and Hector IV New York, 1999, 24 x 20
inch image transfer photograph / watercolor paper; right: Rebecca Sexton
Larson, White Interior, 1999, oil on photo, 38 x 38 inches)
A pin-hole camera allows Larson to break from the technical
limitations that the 35mm format can 
impose on a photographer. This allows Larson a Freedom
from some of the more technical aspects of photography to focus an arrangement,
manipulation and final outcome. The cameras employed for this are constructed
from everyday objects - Larson's own cameras are constructed out of laundry
detergent boxes and are easy to make. Larson's choice of subject matter,
the still-life, allows her to achieve a crispness not usually attributed
to pin-hole camera photography. (right: Rebecca Sexton Larson, Self
Portrait, 1996, oil on photo, 38 x 57 inches)
Larson's
work is represented in numerous collections including the Gulf Coast and
Polk museums, as well as corporate collections such as Nash Editions/Crosby
Stills & Nash, Coopers & Lybrand, Arthur Anderson, and AmSouth Bank
among others. Larson has exhibited extensively throughout her home state
of Florida. (left: Rebecca Sexton Larson, Red Interior, 1999,
oil on photo, 38 x 38 inches)
An opening reception for Anna Tomczak and Rebecca Sexton
Larson is scheduled to take place from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Friday January
7, 2000. As part of PMA's "Artist After Hours Series", both Tomczak
and Larson will be available to discuss their work on January 7 at 5:30
p.m. The reception is open and free to the public.
Read more about the Pensacola
Museum of Art in Resource Library Magazine
rev. 11/26/10
Search Resource
Library for thousands of articles and essays on American art.
Copyright 2010 Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation. All rights
reserved.
Anna
Tomczak's recent work utilizes Polaroid transfers, made from the Polaroid
20 x 24 camera. The medium itself is quite an impressive achievement, considering
there
are less than ten 20 x 24 Polaroid cameras in existence. Artists often use
the Polaroid Artist Support Program, part of the Polaroid Cultural Division,
just to have access to such equipment. Working in this medium allows Tomczak
to explore a range of creative possibilities in her images. In describing
this new format Tomczak commented: "With the impressive 20 x 24 Polaroid
camera, I am able to paint, construct, envision, fantasize, and 'transfer'
my ideas onto the piece of paper...There is a certain richness of color,
combined with the visual clarity achieved with this camera and process,
that I intend to explore as thoroughly as possible." (left:
© Anna Tomczak, Gifts of Gold and Pastel, 1996, 24 x 20 inch
image transfer photograph / watercolor paper; right: © Anna Tomczak,
Pascal NYC, 1999, 24 x 20 inch image transfer photograph / watercolor
paper)
