BOTANICALS Photography by Alan Herman - August 8-Sept 28

EAST MEREDITH — For the past 40 years Alan Herman has split his time between a farmhouse outside of Jefferson and a loft in New York City. He grew up in Greenwich Village, attended Philadelphia College of Art (later, University of the Arts) intending to major in photography, but in freshman year, opted instead to major in sculpture, where he received a BFA, an MFA, and some years later, a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.   In addition to the sculpture, for quite a number of years he shifted his attention to painting, and has also published  three books of poetry.  His work has been shown, and collected widely, and garnered a significant amount of critical acclaim. 

Herman’s current exhibition, BOTANICALS,  at the West Kortright Center, West Kortright Center - 49 West Kortright Church Rd, East Meredith NY with an artist reception August 23rd, 5-7pm.

This is a series of elegant tabletop portraits of artificial flowers arranged in humble thrift store vases, within invented formal settings, inspired by the botanical works  of James Audubon, Fantin-Latour, and others.

Throughout  his life, photography has distinctly informed all aspects of his work. He took his first photograph at age 3, at 8 was given a Brownie Hawkeye, at 11 he bought his first 35mm camera, from is savings, and set upon assembling a small darkroom in his bedroom closet. By 13, he had begun working summers and school holidays for a major NY fashion photographer, and eventually had a long successful career designing sets for film and TV commercials. Herman has never stopped taking photographs. 

More of his photographs can be viewed at alanhermanphotography.com, and examples of his production design can be seen at alanherman.org.