The photographs of Henry Berry will be featured at an opening on Friday, Oct. 25 at the Frame Warehouse, 346 Harrison St., Oak Park. The opening reception will be from 6-8 pm.
Henry recently was awarded two Honorable Mentions in the International Photography Awards (IPA) competition. His won awards
for Midwest Back Roads in the category of “Architecture/Buildings” and for Silent Ballet in the category of “Nature/Trees. The photographs can be viewed online at:
http://www.photoawards.com/en/Pages/Gallery/zoomwin.php?eid=8-64185-13&uid=&code=Buildings
and
http://www.photoawards.com/en/Pages/Gallery/zoomwin.php?eid=8-64184-13&uid=&code=Trees
In his comments to the photos, Henry describes what catches his attention. Of the Midwest back roads he says, “I've heard it said the real heart of America is out along her two-lane country roads, with no name but a letter or a number and I tend to agree. There's a connectedness I feel and experience along those roads that I don't find anywhere else. The buildings and barns are connected to the lives of the people who built them, and I try to honor that connection in my photographs, because I also see these old structures going by the wayside, just as the way of life of those who built them is fading into history.”
Regarding his photos of trees he says, “ I love to see things made from wood, catch the scent of fresh sawed lumber, to feel the presence of the craftsman when I run my hand cross my grandmother's old dresser. But we must never forget that trees, the original source, are decades in the making and can never be replaced. It is no wonder the Egyptians thought trees had souls. They move and speak in their own quiet language. In these photographs I try to tell the trees' stories, not mine.”
Henry has had several exhibits in the Chicago area including the Oak Park Public Library and Harold Washington College, been published in After Hours Magazine, and has been a finalist in Photographers Form Magazine. His distinctive style of photography comes from his mastery of the fine art of black and white photography and a deep personal connection with his subject matter. Although his work is influenced by such artist as Walker Evans, Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, and Clarence John Laughlin, he has developed his own unique style.
More of his work can be viewed at henryberryphotography.com
