By Suzanne Révy
Community gardens have always offered a respite from the bustle of city life but last summer they served a deeper need. Staying isolated was relatively easy in socially distant gardens, a place where we could safely commune with nature and neighbors. It was in this spirit of connection that photographer Greg Heins turned his lens to urban communal plots over the course of three seasons during the pandemic to create a robust narrative around the cycles of life called Fall in the Garden. A second show, The Viewers, made before the pandemic within the walls of a museum, offers a different sense of connection and both exhibits are on view at Gallery Kayafas through June 5th, 2021. Heins will be at the gallery this coming Saturday, May 15th from 11:00 am – 5:30 pm.
“Chair under a Tree” 2020 by Greg Heins from the series Fall in the Garden, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
“Dahlia and Shed”2020 by Greg Heins from the series Fall in the Garden, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
Opening with a chair surrounded by daisies, Heins invites viewers to wander through his garden to take in the aromas, embrace color and partake of the bounty it produces. A pink dahlia poses for her close-up, and a bevy of ephemeral cosmos dance in the wind while delicious tomatoes over ripen on their vines. Human figures may be absent from the images, but their presence is felt in the gestures of the plants as they grow, flourish and eventually wilt toward death. One wall features a variety of sunflowers reaching toward bright blue skies, but eventually falling to earth in a dramatic finish to the season. Heins’ garden is not only a metaphor for life, but his pictures remind us that despite the disruptions to our day-to-day routines during the pandemic, the world – as ever – turns through the seasons, offering the opportunity to dig into the dirt, reap her bounty and connect with the rhythms of nature.
“Cosmos” 2020 by Greg Heins from the series Fall in the Garden, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
“Four Tomatoes, Two Stakes” 2020 by Greg Heins from the series Fall in the Garden, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
“Sunflowers Against a Wall” 2020 by Greg Heins from the series Fall in the Garden, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
A second smaller show, The Viewers, reveals a more meditative form of connection. Formerly a staff photographer at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Heins photographed visitors looking at the art on view. In this particular series of twelve pictures, we see the backs of museum goers immersed in a field of dark color. A Mark Rothko painting serves as a backdrop to the portraits, opening a psychological space for the audience with their quiet elegance. Through composition and gesture, we vicariously experience the emotional response to art, building a bridge between the audience, the subject and the photographer.
“Viewer 431” 2018 by Greg Heins from the series The Viewers, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
“Viewer 498” 2018 by Greg Heins from the series The Viewers, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
Adding to their intimate sensibility, the images are scaled for close viewing and both series are presented without glazing, allowing viewers to fully appreciate the rich texture and tonal structure of the prints. By presenting the human experience of the garden and the museum with such direct ease, Heins emphasizes profound unspoken forms of human communication. His photographs reach further than mere words, reminding us of the power of nature and art to stir the spirit.
“Viewer 556” 2018 from the series The Viewers by Greg Heins, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
For more information: https://www.gallerykayafas.com
(Featured Image) “Three Large Sunflowers” 2020 by Greg Heins from the series Fall in the Garden, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.
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