Awakened: Impressions of Nature, Experimental Photographs and Monoprints by Mandi May

Jeffrey Moose Gallery is proud to announce a solo show of experimental photographs and mono prints by Bainbridge Island artist Mandi May for the months of April and May. A reception will be held on First Friday, April 5th from 6 to 8 PM. A Facebook tour of the exhibit will take place from roughly 5:20 – 5:40. On First Friday, May 3rd, Ms. May will do a demonstration of her non-traditional mono printing technique.

She has an unusual perspective on the land: her photos are carefully composed in-camera, without the use of software, using creative lenses, prisms and other objects to alter the field of vision. Her work often has a dream-like quality where water and sky merge seamlessly with forests and flowers. The juxtaposition of images often lends a sense of motion to her imagery, giving the viewer a sense of hovering above or passing by.

Her gelatin-plate monoprints are lighter but rich in texture and subtle in pastel hues and organic shapes. Split fountains of blended colors serve as gentle backgrounds and subtle amorphous shapes hover in the foreground. Instead of conventional metal or plexiglass plates, May uses flexible gelatin plates, which, combined with water-based inks, are re-useable and  good for the environment. These practices are a stark departure from traditional printmaking, which has been full of toxins throughout history.

Her education includes a BFA from Long Island University in New York, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Following college, Ms. May worked in the fine art printing business both in Seattle and in Arizona.

“My creative process is intuitive and experimental.Through the lens and printing plate, I paint images both familiar and imagined, merging form with emotion.” ~ Mandi May