Photo exhibition celebrates the sea
D. Randall Blythe
(CNS Local Life): An exhibition featuring the photography of musician and author D. Randall Blythe is opening at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ (NGCI) Saturday, 10 March and running until Friday, 26 April. Titled “From Whence We Came”, the exhibition celebrates the artist’s deep connection to water and waves.
Blythe defines his craft as capturing those split-seconds of beauty that constantly occur all around us, yet all-too-often quietly pass by unnoticed in today’s hectic world, stated an NGCI press release. Looking through the viewfinder of his camera, he attempts to step outside himself to pay attention to his surroundings. “Photography is a method for becoming more aware of the world around me, and while I enjoy photographing all different sorts of landscapes and people, none catches my eyes as much as the sea and those who live by her,” Blythe said.
As a surfer, he spends as much time as possible in the ocean, which he feels is the most protean landscape on earth, the NGCI said in the release. “She [the ocean] provides endless and constantly changing artistic subject matter,” Blythe explained. “The variations of light, texture, and colour that the sea provides are infinite. Shooting photos of the ocean and those who ride her waves is my attempt at artistically sharing that connection, and hopefully inspiring respect for that universal place ‘from whence we came’.”
The exhibition, which is the third in NGCI’s series celebrating the medium of photography, is also a fundraiser for the gallery, with 100% of the sales of Blythe’s works being donated to NGCI collections and education programmes.
NGCI director Natalie Urquhart said of the exhibition: “This beautiful series is an ode to the ocean, something we as islanders can deeply relate to. Ranging from the calm beauty of still seas to the immense power of waves in a storm, it is a true reminder of the awe-inspiring power of nature. We are delighted to feature Mr Blythe’s remarkable work and very grateful to The Mill Cayman for supporting the project.”
A special members’ reception will be held ahead of the public opening, on Friday, 9 March from 6pm to 8pm. Blythe will also be hosting a free photography workshop for teens on Saturday, 10 March.
For more information on the workshop and other programmes related to the exhibition, go to the NGCI website or email the gallery
Category: Arts, Photography
