What might a Vertiginous Dreamscape and an Alpine cloudscape have in common?

     ...from a photographer's notebook

Vertiginous Dreamscape No.2    ©2014 Steve Ember

Well, let's see...they both contain some deep blue, lots of textures, and they both might keep you from having a second drink at a gallery reception if you have fear of heights...

But, in this case, I'm pleased, and honored, to say that my abstract "Vertiginous Dreamscape No.2" and my alpine landscape "Matterhorn Above the Clouds" were both selected for inclusion in the Maryland Federation of Art's MD Art @ College Park show.

Ann Shafer, Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Baltimore Museum of Art, was the juror for this exhibit, which will be on view through August 2 at The Art Gallery, University of Maryland, College Park.


"Vertiginous Dreamscape No.2," adapted late one night from an original photograph (and, no, I wasn't smoking anything funny!), is on display as a 16 x 24 inch archival pigment print. 

More "literal" is a scene I was fortunate in being able to photograph on a crystal clear alpine afternoon in the autumn of 2011. 

Well, it certainly was crystal clear at 10,170 feet on the Gornergrat in Switzerland, where the cloud deck that was probably making Zermatt and neighboring villages way below a rather soggy mess, had topped out.  "Matterhorn Above the Clouds" is making its second appearance (it was first seen in my 'Scapes  show at Piola in 2013) and is displayed as a 20 x 24 inch archival pigment print.

The Opening Reception will be this coming Friday, July 11 from 6 to 8 PM at this lovely modern gallery in the Art-Sociology Building on the University of Maryland's College Park Campus.  After 4 PM, parking is free in Lots JJ2, JJ3, and 1b (at the intersection of Mowatt Lane and Campus Drive).  These parking lots are located directly behind The Art Gallery/Art-Sociology Bldg. There is also a visitor parking garage on Campus Drive, one block down from The Art Gallery that is free and open to the public.

If you are reading this locally, I hope you can stop by and join us. I'd love to tell you more about spending three days eye to eye with the mighty Matterhorn's craggy peak, shooting agile alpine ibex - with a camera, of course! - and other adventures. 

You may also see larger versions of both of my works in the show on my Foto-Community pages, Dreamscape here and Matterhorn here (you may enjoy a funny little detail in the small peak protruding from the cloud deck). Both images are available as custom printed Photo Note Cards. For more information, or to order, please contact me at the e-mail address in the right column.

©2014 Steve Ember 

P.S. - Well, sometimes, a guy's just gotta mark his territory! 

My little corner of the show. A big thank you to the Maryland Federation of Art and to Taras Matla and his staff at the University of Maryland Art Gallery for hanging such an inviting show and for the lovely opening reception.