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| This image by Ben
Rowland '08 will be on display at the Brooklyn Artists Gym Gallery. |
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| Posted 02.16.07 |
Student's Photography Accepted into Juried Show
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During winter break, Ben Rowland ’08 traveled to Istanbul for a vacation
with his cousins. A hobbyist photographer, he took several photographs. One
of these has found a place in a New York gallery.
That image, titled, “The Man and the Mosque,” is now part of a group gallery
show called: “Look See: Photographs on Reflection” at the Brooklyn Artists
Gym (B.A.G) Gallery in Brooklyn. The opening is from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 24.
In “Man and the Mosque” Rowland captured a scene during a late-afternoon
prayer time in the mosque. He wasn’t allowed to take photographs, but
Rowland decided to capture the moment anyway.
“I put the camera on the floor and shot secretly,” he explains. “I took the
shot on very long exposure – 20 seconds I think, and as a result, the lights
inside appear as stars, and everything is in focus because of the enormous
depth of field. Also because of the long exposure, the viewer can see
through the subject, except for at his knees and feet, which were still as
he prayed.”
This is Rowland’s first time exhibiting his work in a major art gallery or
in a juried show. Applicants were allowed to submit up to three images;
however the B.A.G. jurors were extremely selective.
 Once in the show, photographers have the option of putting a price tag on
their work. Rowland, pictured at right, has already sold prints to parents of Wesleyan students
privately, and is hoping to push more sales form his newly-created Web site.
Rowland, who is pursuing a degree from the College of Social Studies, is the
photography editor this semester for the Wesleyan Argus. He attends
performing art, sports and general campus events, watching them all behind a
lens. Several of his Wesleyan photos are posted on his Web site at
http://www.benrowlandphotography.com.
He’s also photographed several bands and concerts, scenes from his travels
in Istanbul, America, England, France and The Netherlands, and has done
artistic portraits.
Incredibly, Rowland has only been a photographer for six months. He learned
camera basics through months of constant practice and trial and error in
Brooklyn where he lived over the summer.
The artistic ability to see interesting subjects behind the camera, however,
comes natural for Rowland. He continues to experiment with different
subjects.
“In the past few months I’ve been shooting, I’ve gone through many stages
and I’ve watched and analyzed my progression,” he says. “I used to shoot
only objects or things, and yet now I’ve moved almost exclusively to using
photography as an anthropological tool. I love studying people in their
environments.”
Rowland is still exploring what options to take after college, but he
already has a few ideas in mind.
“I would enjoying doing work for The New York Times, while still
pursuing personal artistic endeavors,” he says. “I would love to photograph
a rock band or a war.”
The exhibit “Look See: Photographs on Reflection” will run from February 24
through March 4. BAG Gallery is located on the third floor of 168 7th Street
in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
For more information on the gallery visit
www.brooklynartistsgym.com.
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By Olivia Bartlett, The Wesleyan Connection
editor |
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