November 2013

Francis Marion University in Florence, SC, Features Works by Tari Federer and Alex Palkovich

Francis Marion University in Florence, SC, is presenting two new exhibits including: Passage In Time - Photography by Tari Federer and In Homage - Recent Sculptural Works by Alex Palkovich, on view in the Hyman Fine Arts Center Gallery through Nov. 7, 2013.

Federer discovered her talents as a photographer unexpectedly. After over 35 years as a ceramic artist, she returned to school to complete her degree in Visual Arts. In photography courses she was quickly submerged in light and shadows and has found her true passion in nature, landscapes and wildlife photography. Strong contrast of light and shadow are captured in her images while using the black and white process. The images have a painterly feel, emphasizing the organic, yet impermanent, sense of nature in its transitions.

Born Dec. 5, 1947, Federer spent a large portion of her life living in the Southwest, where she was exposed to the great outdoors, riding horses, hiking and canoeing. This passion has continued in the Carolinas. Her art career started at Ventura College and University of California-Santa Barbara. In 2010, she transferred to Francis Marion University in South Carolina and earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Visual Arts and in Spanish, with a minor in Art History. Recalling her love of wild places in the American Southwest, Federer just made a career choice to become a photographer.

“In pursuit of my newly found passion, Photography, I have uncovered a love for black & white imagery. Black and white enhances the beauty of the light and shadow. By focusing the lens on different subject matter or points of interest, and using a wide aperture, the surrounding environment gently evaporates enhancing shallow depths of field,” says Federer.

“I choose scenes and subjects that are quiet and peaceful, reflecting the beauty I see in old objects, animals, and nature. These images compel me to see, what is often unseen. Often, the imagery is of pastoral landscapes, as I feel interconnectedness with nature. It is the meeting place of all that I am. It is the mirror of my soul. Because color in imagery was not introduced until I was in my teens, I feel that color takes away the beauty of these lustrous values; high contrast, light, and shadows that emphasize the form, line, and shape of subject matter.”

Federer adds, “Although realistic, my work has grown out of previous experimentation with dark room and digital processes. I am constantly challenging myself to be open to new techniques and experiments. My influence has come from Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivian Maier, and my Photography Professor, Julie Mixon, who encourages critical thinking, photography fundamentals, and exploration of new ideas.”

Sculpture has always been Alex Palkovich’s passion. He is a member of the Oxford Arts Society and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) where for 3 years he also served as Vice President. In 2010, he became the first South Carolinian elected as a member of the National Sculpture Society. He has lived and worked on three continents and in five countries. During that time, he continued to learn and take on new sculptural challenges. Palkovich’s work is in private and public collections around the world. His sculptures are available to the public in galleries in Carmel, California, Charleston, Brookgreen Gardens, Florence, SC, and Haifa, Israel.

“Einstein Relief” was accepted into the National Sculpture Society’s 79th Annual in 2012, and “On the Way to the Market” was exhibiting this year in ArtFields in Lake City, SC, at the Tampa Museum (FL), and at Brookgreen Gardens in the National Sculpture Society’s 80th Annual Exhibition.

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call FMU at 843/661-1385 or visit (http://departments.fmarion.edu/finearts/gallery.htm).

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