PROVO: Brigham Young University Museum of Art

Adam’s Dream: The Photographs of Rodney Smith, will be on view from July 28, 2005 to January 16, 2006. The exhibition consists of 69 black and white gelatin silver prints drawn from all phases of Smith’s career with a particular emphasis on his commercial work during the 1990s. The images created by photographer Rodney Smith blur the boundary between imagination and reality. And within the surreal, dream-like world that Smith creates in his photographs, viewers can discover singular beauty, sly wit and even poetic truth.

The title of the exhibition is drawn from a passage in an 1817 letter written by the poet John Keats, “The imagination may be compared to Adam’s dream. He awoke and found it truth.” In poetically interpreting “Adam” as “everyman,” both Keats and Smith ponder the human experience of the imagination, dreams, and their connection to the immediacy of the physical world. Dreams can reveal essential truths that have been overlooked or denied by the conscious mind. Smith’s photographs seek after the insight that dreams provide into the experience of reality.

A camera’s eye,” Smith says, “can see the world with more acuity or resolve than your own eye. It can penetrate deeper, it can see sharper, it can give you an insight, a depth that your own eye can’t have.”

The timeless beauty of Smith’s photography is a conscious counterbalance to the brash ugliness of the contemporary media environment. In contrast to the frenzied “realism” of a lot of fashion and advertising photography, Smith creates images that foster a sense of serenity and well-being. “My interest is not in what is new or fashionable, but rather what endures, and is graceful, stylish and beautiful,” Smith says.

Smith’s unique visual language has had great success in the commercial world. He searches for locations outside the studio that have the distinctive architecture and landscape features that will properly frame his vision. His photographs frequently reference other artists, most notably the surrealist painter Rene Magritte. His images carefully balance the elements of design and spontaneity to make Smith’s contrived compositions appear natural. Smith’s unwavering commitment to the science and craft of traditional black and white photography assures that the final photographic print will be an object of refinement and beauty.

“Adam’s Dream: The Photographs of Rodney Smith” will be on view in the Conway A. Ashton & Carl E. Jackman Gallery on the museum’s second floor. This exhibition is free and open to the public during regular museum hours.

-- Christopher Wilson

Disenchanted Forest: Contemporary Art by Johnston Foster,” on view through Sept. 3, 2005, consists of seven sculptures - six of which are equipped with animatronics - made from everyday objects.

Utah County Art Gallery (Utah County Health and Justice Building, 151 S. University, Provo") "Blossoms & Bandlands" featuring new paintings by Jenni Christensen and Royden Card, through July 29.

Terra Nova Gallery: UP: America the Beautiful through July 8th. UPCOMING: Marilyn Read July 15 - August 19, 2005. Opening Reception Friday July 15th from 6-8pm

OREM: UVSC Woodbury Art Museum Friday, July 8th from 6 to 8:30 pm, the Museum will hold an opening reception for The Truth About Real Art, an exhibit of twelve MFA graduates from BYU. This group of painters and sculptors believe homes and offices should house original and affordable art instead of “department store printed pictures.” Their purpose is to expose the community to a wide variety of contemporary styles and media that are reasonably priced with the hope of changing the general population’s attitude about art. “We live in a very conservative place that could possibly be art-phobic,” writes Donna Corno. “Art is creative, truthful, inspiring, and original.” The group meets together four times a year to discuss and critique each other’s work. Since they live and work across the state, these meetings allow them to stay connected. They encourage one another to pursue their art with “passion, vigor and expertise,” as quoted in their exhibition proposal. Corno and eleven others - Brad Taggart, Todd Orchard, Joanne Smith, Nanette Olson, Corey Bowman, Jason Lanegan, Pam Bowman, Cassandra Barney, Brett Larsen, Ron Rogers, and Alta Jaccard – agree their mission is an uphill struggle, but “we’re persistent.” The exhibit runs thru August 26th.