Ken Dreyfack: Silent Stages

September 2 – October 1, 2017

SOLO GALLERY

Reception: Saturday, September 2, 4-6 PM

Artist Talk: Saturday, September 2, 3 PM

ARTISTS STATEMENT

I make images to spark viewers to conjure up a story, a tale laced with mystery, alienation and maybe even a touch of evil. That’s why I want the lighting to be dramatic, why I shoot in black and white, why my images often include elements that are too dark and/or fuzzy to see clearly.

I generally start with the background, searching the streets for a suitably dramatic setting. I’m seeking a background that could almost be a painted backdrop, a silent movie set, with balsa wood props fabricated and arranged for this specific scene.

Once the background is set, I wait for something to happen, perhaps for players to enter or exit. Frozen on stage, back-, front- or hardly lit at all, I want to capture the instant as each silently recites a fragment of a tale. Sometimes, I arrive too late; the last player has already exited.

2017 Solo Show Artists

Juror: Susana Torruella Leval
Director Emerita El Museo del Barrio
Chair of the New York City Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission