Intimate Gems: The Landscapes of Lynn Geesaman

Damme, Belgium, 6-95-5-12, Gelatin Silver Print

September 6, 2012 – November 30, 2012

“Intimate Gems: The Landscapes of Lynn Geesaman,” a poetic exhibit of photographs by Lynn Geesaman, will be on display at Paul Paletti Gallery Sept. 6 – Nov. 31, with an opening reception for the artist Thursday, September 6, 5 – 8 p.m.

Geesaman focuses on the graphic patterns of the organic world in connection with areas of nature shaped by man, to create a world of impressionist beauty and soft atmosphere with her photographs. Geesaman attests to being lucky, admitting, “I photograph something people already like to look at.” She has only minor cognizance of gardening or botany, believing that in-depth knowledge of those areas could actually be a distraction from her artistic process as she passes through foreign landscapes. The photographs in this exhibit are primarily small vintage works, hand printed by Geesaman in her signature style, to create the most intimate experience for the viewer.

Geesaman graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Mathematics and Physics. After college Geesaman worked for a weapons lab in California where she met and married her husband, Donald. They subsequently moved to Minneapolis to pursue teaching careers. She turned her attention more fully to photography in the 1970s. A pivotal assignment came with the exploration of public gardens, where she delved into the relationships between nature and photography. During a residency at the Kentucky Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in 1992, Geesaman began exploring the use of color photography.

Photographs by Geesaman have been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and are included in the collections of the Whitney Museum of America, Royal Shakespeare Society, George Eastman House, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and the MacArthur Foundation. Her works have also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, The New Art Examiner, Art & Antiques, The Washington Post, Chicago Sun Times, and Art in America. Three monographs of her work have also been published: Hazy Lights and Shadows, Gardenscapes, and Poetics of Place.