Obscura, a non-profit organization I co-founded, was officially launched this May with a celebratory photography show at Asymmetrick Arts in Rockland, Maine. Obscura’s mission is to support artists at all levels through scholarships, grants, and publishing. Initially we had intended to create a quarterly printed publication for the organization, but as our vision evolved we decided on an online publication instead. This idea became Obscuraweb.org, which was launched on May 27. In addition to the launch of the site we have also announced the publishing of a softcover edition of The Blue Poet Dreams, the first book published by Obscura. May was a big month! We have a lot more in store for our organization… including the announcement of our first scholarship, as well as the launch of a store on our site to aid in the fundraising.

Be sure to visit our new site: www.ObscuraWeb.org

Brenton Hamilton, a master of alternative photographic processes, has just updated his website with new work. I have been a longtime admirer of Brenton’s mysterious and deeply affecting images, and have also had the privilege of working with him on several projects, as well as a cross-country mentorship that has been a constant source of inspiration and motivation. His new collection of images (gallery IV on his website) consists largely of circular portraits rendered in neutral shades of browns and golds created by a luscious combination of platinum-palladium and gum-bichromate. There are also the occasional salted paper prints which Hamilton has crafted in shades of red, as well as strict gum-bichromate prints which turn deep shades of green.

The portraits themselves seem to bring our attention more into the personalities and inner dialogues of Brenton’s figures, as opposed to some of his earlier work in which the actions and interactions of the figures with their surroundings and fellow inhabitants seemed to dominate. Here, the primary focus seems to be on the identity of the subjects, or rather, their multiple identities. The term two-faced takes on a very literal meaning in these new images, as several of the figures seem to be emerging from behind masks or splitting themselves into separate identities. Or are there simply two people occupying the frame? Just as the circles themselves aren’t always circles, and the colors shift from browns to greens to reds, Hamilton’s new images defy any quick categorization and attempts to gain easy answers. I could write about them for days.

www.brentonhamiltonstudio.net (go to gallery IV)