Last Updated on 10/11/2024 by Nilofer Khan
We often do not appreciate the quieter moments of our daily lives, which sometimes are the most poetic. Photographs of such mundane settings may not make their way to photo albums, where only the best images are displayed, but they do contribute to our very being. One photographer who understood the richness of such moments is Regina DeLuise, and in her new photo book and exhibition, she reveals the very thing that makes us human.
The lead image is by Regina DeLuise, courtesy of Saint Lucy Books. All images are used with permission.
Titled The Gathering, this is the second solo exhibition of the artist, which will be displayed at Rick Wester Fine Art (RWFA) gallery. The photographer has been exploring human experience through photography for decades, which gradually developed as her first monograph called The Hands of My Friends. What makes her work so compelling is that Regina DeLuise does not shy away from capturing the intimacy between her and the world around her. Using a large-format 8×10-inch view camera and producing platinum and palladium, the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship winner offers you a glimpse into her unseen world.
As in portraiture, I discovered the essence and character of the land and the intimate connection to what is in front of my lens are of paramount importance. I’ve often referred to Italy as my creative home.
As part of her artistic process, Regina DeLuise enjoys capturing authentic moments. For this, she has an observational approach to her surroundings, trying to discover her everyday life through portraiture, landscape, and still life. Furthermore, her travels play a pivotal role in her approach to capturing the intricate facets that make us human. So far, she has traversed through the USA, Italy, Morocco, South Africa, France, Nepal, and Bhutan. As a result, the 100 photographs in The Hands of My Friends offer a glimpse into her four-decade-long career, with varied cultures, races, ethnicities, and traditions at the forefront of the book.
For her exhibition, The Gathering, she will showcase her still-life photography. Through each image, in both the book and showcase, Regina DeLuise aims to capture the poetic exploration of the contemporary experience. “DeLuise understands how both the seductions and the risks she’s courting are built into her technique,” said art critic Barry Schwabsky, explaining DeLuise’s work.
I am at my most productive when I keep something of an unsteady ground underfoot. I never know what I’ll find when I’m out in the world, and I’m drawn to that not knowing. The air feels different, communication is awkward, and a new quality of light, illuminating the unexpected is a wonder. Honing my visual acumen is a way to find balance, keep alert, agile and alive.
Whether it is her portraits or her still-life, what you certainly love about DeLuise’s photographs is that they instantly calm you. The moody light, the contrast, and the quietness that the photographs reveal stay long with you. It requires you to take a moment from your hurried lives, to stop and observe. And doing so reduces the noise in your head that keeps telling you that you are being unproductive. Even with portraits of people, the images evoke endless questions, and this is the first step in successfully engaging the audience. Overall, both the book and the exhibition by Regina DeLuise are fantastic portals through time and space when even the most mundane moment becomes a hero of its own.
The pop-up exhibition will run from October 10 to 19, followed by a book signing event on October 17. Mark Alice Durant and Felicia McCarren from Tulane University will also be present to discuss DeLuise’s work.
For information on the book, visit Saint Lucy Books’s website. To learn more about the exhibition, visit Rick Wester Fine Art’s website.