When asked about the influences shaping his work, Philip Venable admits to admiration for Ansel Adams, the most honored photographer of the 20th century and an effective advocate to preserve America’s remaining wilderness areas.
But Venable, a Vacaville resident and retired Contra Costa County Sheriff’s deputy, “emphasizes that he composes his own unique melody,” his own visual language with a message, said Dennis Ariza, president of the The Fairfield-Suisun Visual Arts Association, which has mounted an exhibit of the photographer’s work at the Solano Town Center.
The show, “Wild Thing” — “dedicated to celebrating our inner wildness,” Ariza said in a press statement — continues to Feb. 21 at the FSVAA gallery in the Fairfield mall, at 1350 Travis Blvd., suite D-8.
Venable’s exhibit within the exhibit is his “Dreamscape” series, what Ariza called “a collection as a heartfelt homage to his late wife.”
After her death, he crafted a digital alternate reality, giving the collection of photos its name, “to maintain that connection,” Ariza wrote in the prepared statement, adding, “The series, with its symbolix portal, serves as Philips bridge to that alternate reality where his cherished memories thrive.”
Venable, who retired from his law enforcement career in 2011, embarked on his photographic journey in 2010, refining his craft over the past 13 years and using a Nikon camera to do so. He had always been a shutterbug from age 10, when he received a Kodak Box Brownie camera.
An Air Force veteran, serving from 1976 to 1980, he won a juried art show in 2013 at the Vacaville Art Gallery and was the subject of an artist’s profile in The Reporter in 2014.
Besides photos of nature — a reference point sparked by Adams, who, with Edward Weston and Imogen Cunningham, co-founded the seminal Group f64, and other photographers, including Robert Adams, a founder of the New Topography of the 1970s — Venable captures a wide variety of subject matter, from Civil War reenactments and vintage vehicles to trains and landscapes.
“We are delighted that he is bringing his artistry from the proverbial darkroom into the radiant light of public view,” said Ariza. “His lens captures the essence of life in its most authentic form, a testament to his unfiltered perspective.”
An artist’s reception will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 27. Some light snacks, berages and wine from gallery sponsor, BackRoad Vines, will be available.
Additionally, the FSVAA this year kicks off its 80th anniversary by celebrating “80Years of Art” in Fairfield. In the coming weeks and months, the artists group will be organizing different events to celebrate eight decades, said Ariza.
“Each of our shows will feature something special as part of the celebration,” he added.
For more information, visit www.fvaa-arts.org.