As we ring in the New Year, Jackson Fine Art is pleased to announce two solo exhibitions of contemporary color photographs by Jack Spencer and Lynn Geesaman. The works of Jack Spencer and Lynn Geesaman are founded in their desire to travel and explore outside of their familiar surroundings. While Geesaman has found a passion for capturing the beauty of the structured gardens, Spencer finds beauty in expressionistic landscapes. Their work will be on view at Jackson Fine Art from January 22nd through March 13th. The artists will be in attendance at our opening reception to be held on Friday, January 22nd from 6-8pm.

Lynn Geesaman was introduced to photography while studying physics at Wellesley College. When she was 33 she began taking photographs as a way to document the lives of her children. Travels led her around the world, as she found she enjoyed photographing gardens primarily in England, France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. Geesaman still finds gardens in the United States that call to her, but she continues to return to her most cherished and successful locales in Europe.

Initially shooting in black and white, Geesaman hesitantly ventured into color photography. Her background in black and white photography can be seen in the contrast she finds within her color work, but what really makes these pieces beautiful is her secret darkroom technique to push and pull the colors. The resulting effect produces vibrant surrealistic color that transports the viewer into a calm, dream-like world. Lynn’s most recent work has a warm color palette featuring bright oranges and deep reds. Although our exhibit will feature her most recent work, it will also consist of a number of representative images from many years of Lynn’s European travels.

Jack Spencer believes that all art is self-portraiture in its purest form. In his first body of work, Native Soil, he traveled across the southern U.S. breaking down misconceptions that were established in his youth. Jack’s older images reflect and invoke a southern sensibility with many of his subjects commonly rooted in the rural delta culture. Since then he traveled the country and into Mexico, always allowing life to lead him to his next series. His most recent photographs are a departure from the layered portraits and landscapes found in Native Soil and Apariciones. He describes these new works as ‘over-exposed and minimalist’. Working in St. Augustine, Florida, a pastel palette makes these photographs feel similar to watercolor paintings. In addition to this different approach in style, Spencer has also changed his process in that they have a very clean, polished appearance compared to his earlier mixed-media photos. This combination allows these painterly new works to stand out in Spencer’s varied collection.

Jack Spencer was born in Mississippi and currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. Jack is a self-taught photographer who attended Louisiana Tech University and is rapidly gaining a national reputation. Jack’s work is in many collections including: The Houston Museum of Fine Art, Berkley Museum of Art, and Sir Elton John’s Photography Collection and he is represented by leading contemporary photography galleries throughout the United States. LSU Press published his book titled, Native Soil, in 1999. Other selected publications include Looking at L.A., 2005; Zoom Magazine, 2003; and Southern Accents, 2002.

Geesman has had three publications: Poetics of Place, with an introduction by writer Jamaica Kincaid; Gardenscapes, which includes 71 images of her color work and an interview by nature writer Verlyn Klkinkenborg; and Hazy Lights and Shadows, featuring black and white photographs and an essay by photographer and art critic Jean-Marc Bodson. Her grants and awards include the Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship, the Jerome Foundation’s Visual Arts Travel and Study Grant, and a Bernheim Artist Fellowship. Lynn’s work is part of many permanent collections such as The University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, Exxon’s Collections, Bloomingdale’s Collection, Tiffany & Co. Collection, New York City, and The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Illinois to name a few.