We Come and We Go

I know what I know
I’ll sing what I said
We come and we go
That’s a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
~Paul Simon

By Elin Spring

Lately, I have been experiencing a serious case of “crisis fatigue.” From the sudden bout of March snowstorms to the unrelenting news cycle, I find myself striving for composure, inspiration, and if at all possible, sunshine. I know I am not alone. As if clairvoyant, Gallery Kayafas is exhibiting two photographers whose distinctive expressions of impermanence offer quietly affecting perspectives on the tumults of life. Kimberly Witham’s “On Beauty” and Emily Belz’s “Forward From Where We Came” will be on view through April 6^th, 2019 with an Artists’ Reception on First Friday, April 5^th, 2019.

“Autumn, 2017” from the series On Beauty by Kimberly Witham (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

“The Monarch, 2018” from the series On Beauty by Kimberly Witham (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

In her series On Beauty, Kimbery Witham’s voluptuous floral blooms burst with vibrancy in an unabashed celebration of natural vitality. With admiring references to the dramatic lighting and meticulous compositions found in Dutch still-life paintings, Witham sets the stage for artful contrasts that bring surprise, mystery and gravitas to her images.

“Wooly Bears, 2018” from the series On Beauty by Kimberly Witham (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

“Melancholia, 2017” from the series Laid Table by Kimberly Witham (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

The still-life has long been a classic way to both control and preserve the natural world, while hinting at its fragility and the inexorable ravages of time. Using palette as camouflage, Witham goes further, nestling foods, creatures from her garden, portions of skeletons retrieved from the woods around her home, even road kill, into her compositions. At times she tricks the eye, as with the little owl who at first glance resembles a cinnamon bun on her laid table in “Melancholia.” Other times, she employs delicious humor, as in the candy laden “Artificial Sweetener.” In her graceful, lush and textural imagery, Witham puts a fine point on the longings and mortality of all living things.

“Artificial Sweetener, 2018” from the series On Beauty by Kimberly Witham (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

“Closed Off, 2016” from the series Forward From Where We Came by Emily Belz (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

Visually and metaphorically, Emily Belz’s Forward From Where We Came brings us inside. Using confined spaces to conjure some of our most deeply resonant memories, Belz photographs her parents’ home, her husband’s childhood home and the home where she currently lives with her own family. Suspending time, each photograph seems poised between the past and the present, memory and expectation.

“Broken Glass, 2016” from the series Forward From Where We Came by Emily Belz (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

“Charlie, 2016” from the series Forward From Where We Came by Emily Belz (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

Belz’s intimate tone is well served by both her 14”x 21” print size and her flowing installation in the cozy gallery space. Details like cracked glass in a picture frame and “Charlie” stuck in yellow tape to an armchair bring texture and focus to small vignettes that evoke big ideas such as transition, memory and legacy. This concentration on specific elements, her attentive framing and muted palette all contribute to a wistful, pensive quality. But more than anything else, Belz captures light in magical ways, emphasizing its ephemeral, transitory nature with stirring emotionality.

“Shadows, Play, 2015” from the series Forward From Where We Came by Emily Belz (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

“Rocking Chair Scratches, 2016” from the series Forward From Where We Came by Emily Belz (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

Both Belz and Witham are exploring transience, reflecting on the ways that we come and we go. While Belz focuses on family history, Witham’s still-lives center on natural history, but both artists share a gift for lending perspective to our lives through their insightful, striking photography.

“Pretty Please with Sugar on Top, 2018” from the series On Beauty by Kimberly Witham (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).

For more information about this exhibit, go to: http://www.gallerykayafas.com/

Feature Image: “Autumn Light Door, 2015” from the series Forward From Where We Came by Emily Belz (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston).