When fine art photographer and educator Alan Sislen began selecting images for AMAZING ASPENS, his exhibition that’s currently showing at MEG, he didn’t expect to break one of his cardinal rules. But as the show came together, he came to an important realization: sometimes rules are meant to be broken.
The cardinal rule Alan cast aside is to never mix color photographs with black and white photographs in an exhibition. “Color typically pulls you in immediately, leaving the black and white images to be overlooked, or, even worse, to be seen as distractions,” he says.
In the case of quaking aspens, the subject of AMAZING ASPENS, the color images are doubly powerful because they reinforce what we know to be true. In nature, aspens are amazing, awe-inspiring trees that come aglow with fall color. Still, Alan knew the aspens’ story extends far beyond color, and he experimented with creating images in tones of black and white and gray. “Without color, what draws our attention is the contrast, textures, luminance and strength of these trees. The eye is able to quietly take in the visual elements, including the trees’ structure and verticality, to better understand their magnificence,” Alan explains. His final selections for the show included 16 color images and 5 black and white images.
The outcome of Alan’s rule-breaking is a terrific exhibition that draws you in with its color and leaves you transfixed with its meditative monochromes. It is on display at MEG through July 9 and can also be viewed virtually if you are not local to the Torpedo Factory.