At Water's Edge, Jack McConnell

The Gilded Edge - "At Water's Edge" color photography and hand-painted B&W photography by Jack McConnell, June 10-July 12. Artist Reception June 20, 6-9 pm. Gallery hours Tues-Fri 10-5, Thurs 10-7, Sat 10-2. Salem Marketplace, 20 Hartford Rd, Salem, 860.889.4903, www.thegildededge.com .

 

 

 

Ducking in and out of harbors along the coast of Maine in his 28' Crosby tugboat, Jack McConnell creates nautical compositions that represent iconic moments in the tidal zone.

 

Shooting first on black and white film, Jack paints his prints with Marshall oils, in the tradition of turn-of-the-century artist Wallace Nutting, but with more gusto and energy. Instead of pastel tints and watery washes, McConnell mingles translucent and opaque techniques with a quirky color intuition and gritty manipulation done with sable-tipped brushes and hand-rolled cotton swabs. By using painterly finishes like stippling, smudging, and layering of color, he straddles the line between paint and emulsion, playing with a print's tactile surface and asking the question, "Is it a painting or photograph?"

 McConnell brings his mastery of the medium, learned in 35 years as a corporate/advertising photographer traveling around the world for Fortune 500 companies. His gallery and stock file are at 182 Broad Street in Wethersfield. To see more work, check his websites: www.stonewalljack.com and www.mcconnellpix.com .

For further information call 860.889.4903