One of the wonderful things about Santa Fe is that you can see high quality, ever changing art exhibits every day. And, it’s easy. Ample parking (or once you’re in the center of town you can stroll to dozens of galleries). And, the galleries are never too crowded.You can really see the art and pause before a favorite without being jostled. HG and BSK visited the Monroe Gallery of Photography a few days ago for a knockout show: Stephen Wilkes’ Day to Night. This was a show of panoramic photos of New York City landmarks in which Wilkes captures a 15-hour time span of a single day. Astonishing. Time is condensed. Colors shift from night purple to the golden sunlight of day to the the heady contrasts of afternoon shadow. Yes, all in a single photo. These photos of the Flatiron Building, Coney Island, the High Line, Park Avenue, Bethesda Fountain, Washington Square, Central Park in winter, New York Public Library, Gramercy Park, Times square are unique examples of artistic imagination and technical mastery. In order to achieve these photographs, Wilkes perched for 15 hours on a 50-foot crane taking hundreds of shots. In the post production phase, Wilkes studied each individual image and chose elements which he digitally merged into a single photograph. These works don’t look like a composite, just a seamless compression of time and space. Wilkes describes these photos as “a love letter to the City of New York.” The big town is lucky to have a lover like Wilkes. In any case, the exciting show made HG and BSK hungry. So, the fortunate duo picked up some Prince Edward Island mussels and a pound of squid for a dinner of linguini and sea critters. Life’s good in the Land of Enchantment.
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