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January 12, 2007
BEN SHAHN GALLERIES EXHIBITS PRINTS BY AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER GEORGE TICE
An exhibit of recent photographs by George Tice, an award-winning New Jersey photographer who specializes in documenting the state’s urban and industrial landscapes, will be on view in the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University from January 29 through March 2, 2007. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
More than 70 of Tice’s black and white prints will be featured in the exhibit, which originated at the Newark Museum. A majority of the images were taken between 2005 and 2006, although a few are from Tice’s earlier investigation of Paterson, which he explored in 1972 in his acclaimed one-man exhibit, “Paterson,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the accompanying book.
Tice is primarily known for his photographs of theatres, shops, houses, apartment buildings, factories and street scenes. His pictures capture a wordless and sometimes heartbreaking record of what urban life aspires to, as well as its successes and failures.
“What originally attracted me,” Tice wrote in 1972, “were (Paterson’s) two natural areas, Garret Mountain and the Passaic Falls…As I looked out and down from Garret Mountain, I experienced a sense of the city from its creation – how it began, what its past was like, the pattern of its present, and even, perhaps, some suggestion of its future.” Tice depicted the true essence of a modern city with his photographs of storefronts, weed-grown vacant lots and factory exteriors.
In 2000, he began his second book of Paterson photographs. “Whenever I felt the need to photograph I would drive the Garden State Parkway fifty miles north, take exit 155P to Paterson, and work somewhere within,” he wrote in Paterson II. “I would photograph the falls, the river, the mountain, or the city itself in all seasons…These three themes—man, nature, and the man-made—are interwoven throughout the Paterson books.”
Among the works included in the exhibit are photographs taken from Garret Mountain, in Overlook Park, the Passaic River and the Great Falls, and numerous street scenes, many that feature portraits of the city’s current residents.
A native of Newark, Tice began documenting the state more than 40 years ago. He has published 13 books and six limited edition portfolios. Tice’s photographs have been widely collected and are included in major public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the Art Institute of Chicago, and The Newark Museum. The recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Tice was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree by William Paterson University in May 2003.
In conjunction with the exhibit, Tice will lead a tour of “Paterson II” on Sunday, February 11, 2007 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Ben Shahn Galleries; the snow date is February 18, 2007. Admission is $25 and includes a reception. The program is sponsored by the Ben Shahn Galleries and Friends of the Cheng Library at William Paterson University. Advance reservations are required; please call 973-720-2114 or e-mail lib-chengfriends@wpunj.edu.
The exhibit is one of three shows currently on view in the Ben Shahn Galleries. On view in the Court Gallery is “Six Men Working: Sanctuary,” featuring studio works and on-site installations by Jose Camacho, Peter Jacobs, Andrew Knapp, Ronald Ridgeway, Jay Seldin and Charlee Swanson. The East Gallery features “More Than Meets the Eye: Insight into the Artistic Process,” which explores how artists imagine, recognize, and bring their art to fruition; the exhibit is curated by Sandy DeSando.
The exhibit is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Ben Shahn Galleries are wheelchair-accessible. Large-print handouts are available. For additional information, please call the Ben Shahn Galleries at William Paterson University at 973-720-2654.
Note to reporters and editors: Downloadable photographs are available at http://ww2.wpunj.edu/publicityphotos/BenShahnGalleries
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