Sharon Gershoni: Photographs The Open Lens Gallery The Gershman Y November 15, 2007-January 11, 2008 Sharon Gershoni’s photographic compositions begin with a single, carefully observed image. She then undertakes an experimental process of turning, mirroring, dissecting, joining—building the single image out upon itself to discover unexpected continuities. The finished prints, which may have multiplied the original image 128 times or more, offer a dizzying array of flatness and depth, figure and ground, in which patterns emerge and vibrate to the searching eye. The works in this exhibit, referencing trees, fields of weeds, flowers and architecture, pull the viewer in with a seductive, seemingly unending richness of detail. This is partly thanks to a special process of color filming and processing that the artist developed in her native Israel, in response to the austere colors and strong light of the landscape there. They are also informed by Gershoni’s parallel career in neuroscience and visual perception; one is, in a sense, invited to participate in an ongoing creation of new Gestalts, discovering faces, bodies, undulating lines in the buzz of interlocking detail.

For all this, the work also carries a great range of emotion. The etched branches of an ancient olive tree, burned to make way for a new settlement, or the field of burned weeds, preserved in white ash and black charcoal, become resonant elegies. The glowing yellow of gingko leaves, or the close-packed petals of orchids and jasmine, offer lush mandalas. Not only are pattern and depth seemingly endless, but our interest and attention are rewarded with seemingly unending new facets of experience. –Miriam Seidel, Curator

Gingko II, Lambda print

Sharon Gershoni grew up in Israel, where she studied photography with Yosaif Cohain, a student of Minor White. Before moving to Philadelphia, she lived for six years in Japan, where she earned a doctorate in Visual Perception from Chiba University. While there, she continued her photographic work, and developed the tessellated images seen in this exhibit. These works were shown in Japan to great acclaim, including the grand prize from the Nikakai Association of Photographers Exhibition at the National Museum of Art, Tokyo—Gershoni was the first non-Japanese photographer to win this award; exhibits at the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts; and a solo exhibition at the prestigious Kodak Photo Salon. She has also exhibited in Los Angeles, Flantzberg (Germany), Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. Her work is in the collections of the Bezalel Art Academy; the Embassy of Israel, Tokyo; and K*MoPA, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts.

Sharon Gershoni will speak about her work on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 1 pm in the CBS Auditorium, Hamilton Hall, NW corner Broad & Pine Streets, Philadelphia. This talk is co-presented by the Media Arts Department, University of the Arts, with support from Israel @ 60. This exhibit is co-sponsored by the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery.

Red Tree, Lambda Print Our thanks to Sharon Gershoni, Sarra Lev, Sid Sachs, Harris Fogel, Rosa Esquenazi, Laurie Wagman and Irvin Borowsky, Keiko Miyamori, James Fuhrman, Donna Katz, Nick Gilewicz, Sandy Garz, Marti Berk, Alison Polsky, to Muller Inc. and Goji Restaurant for generous donations to the reception, and Kazumi Teune and Sam Malissa of the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia.

Center for Arts and Culture

401 S. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 215.545.4400 www.gershmanY.com

Gallery Hours: Sunday-Friday 9 am – 5 pm, closed Saturdays Laurie Wagman & Irvin J. Borowsky, Honorary Co-Chairs, The Borowsky Gallery JCCs of Greater Philadelphia, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia