Mystery-Laden: Japan and Houston at HCP

The other day Houstonist popped into the Houston Center for Photography, that haven and support for all things filmic, to see a show entitled, "Japan." What especially intrigued us was the fact that the photographer, an HCP fellowship recipient, had been travelling in Japan while reading some of our favorite contemporary Japanese writers: slightly surrealist Haruki Murakami, cult-star Yukio Mishima, and the spare/smart Kenzaburo Oe.

Says Amelia D'Entrone in her artist's statement, "A sense of a solitary inner life searching for acceptance from a rigid society settled on me and inspired my shooting process." Yow, we thought. Got to see this.

Her photographs reflect her thoughts and the literature just as she described. Eerie and lonesome, mysterious and reflective, the work possesses an unusual stillness that implies the unseen. In particular, her shadowy photographs of the ducks in Ueno Park and the lilly pads compelled Houstonist to linger longer.

However, that's not all there is.

Houstonist was thrilled to find a second exhibition by the other fellowship recipient, Colin Zelt. His show, entitled "Rocky's Neighborhood at Night," is a series of photographs Zelt took while taking his dog out for an evening walk. The shots are taken from Rocky's point of view; Zelt captures how shadowy and strange any setting can seem once the sun goes down. All the images were taken within ten blocks of the photographer's house. Zelt capitalizes on the mystery of long shadows and broken fences; he ferrets out depth and narrative in what would otherwise be a ten minute stroll with Fido. The light from the streetlamps makes the air seem tangible. No wonder he won a fellowship as well.

The question is, what neighborhood does he live in? Someone out there must know. Take a look at the images and see if you recognize anything.

HCP is also exhibiting the honorable mentions for the fellowships, and we can only imagine it was a tough decision for the judges. And if that weren't enough to adorn the walls, PictureThis!, photographs by students/patients at The Children´s Hospital at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Clinic in Houston are also up.

The exhibitions are running until August 19th, not so far away, so get over there soon.

What: "Japan," "Rocky's Neighborhood at Night," "2007 Fellowship Exhibition, Honorable Mention" and "Picture This!"
Where: Houston Center for Photography, 1441 West Alabama, see map
When: Wednesdays through Sundays until August 19th
Cost: Free, although donations are appreciated.

photos:
Lilly Pads by Amelia D'Entrone, 2006, 30 x 30 inches, Digital C-Print
Joyous by Christopher Olivier, 2006, 36 x 36 inches, Dye sublimation print
Rocky´s Neighborhood at Night #2 by Colin Zelt, 2006, 20 x 24 inches, Archival Inkjet print