The Photographs – Jeffereson Hayman

The import placed on materials and process is emphasized in the photography of Jefferson Hayman. The use of negative space, filtered light and grainy tones create an ethereal aesthetic imbued with mysterious and compellingly eerie undertones. The mystifying impressions further their sense of timelessness and force the audience to contemplate and internalize.

Though the subject matter is universal and neutral in its recognizability, Hayman's rendering of materials far remove them from conventionality. The sense of history and nostalgia is most evident in his use of antique & self-designed picture frames. Using mostly mahogany, walnut and quarter-sawn oak finished with stains and dyes, his frames are either period or reflect the designs of the early 20th century & late 19th century American aesthetic. His use of objects demonstrates a care and appreciation for raw materials, often overlooked and ignored in contemporary photography. This attention to craftsmanship recalls the artistry and workmanship of cultures such as the Shakers whose product and designs extol function and quality. Shaker design is heralded for its clean, economic lines that unite form and function to reflect the Shaker philosophy that beauty rests on utility.

While his life and work are inexorably bound to the city that never sleeps, his photographs reflect a seclusion and solitude that induce the tranquility of a contented slumber. His black and white series of still lives, cityscapes and portraiture evoke a nostalgic journey to an obscure and imperceptible time period. Inside his world, the viewer dreamily contemplates the comfort and resonance of the images which induce inexplicable moments of déjà vu.

Jefferson Hayman’s photographs are collected by President William Clinton, Robert DeNiro, David Mamet, Banana Republic Inc. and many other public & private institutions.

The Paintings – Tristan Tondino

Maybe a few people can say honestly that they are not fascinated by New York City; the connotations and denotations of the city that never sleeps, personal and public are massive.

I was immediately captivated by Jefferson’s photographs, and the idea of 3 artists working on the same images seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore differences in media and perceptions.

...One big brush, too much oozing paint on wooden panels, a very restricted palette, a signing brush, in contrast with Mylar, conté and digital print.

Art does not have to be complicated – sometimes it can be – but complexity is not a necessary rule.

So, Burckhardt, de Kooning, Denby, Gorky, Elaine, Chelsea, Joey, Robin, Pauline, Larry, Woody, Liberty, Staten Island Ferry, MoMA, Rembrandt, Rich, Poor, Louise, United Nations, Global Taxation, Soho,  – P.S. I could literally do this for a few weeks.

Tristan Tondino’s work is in the collections of The Honourable Enrique BOLAÑOS GEYER, President of Nicaragua, Dr. Richard Monette of Stratford Theatre, The Honourable Donald Seal and The Honourable Judge Barbara Seal, The  Benetton Corporation.  He is currently represented by Galerie 1225,  The Campbell Gallery and The Jens Thielsen Gallery.

The drawings – G. Scott MacLeod

My inspiration for this series came from American photographer Jefferson Hayman’s New York photographs. Jeff, Tristan and I decided to collaborate on a project that would involve responding to his photography and immediate environment, which is New York City. I was interested in Jeff’s work because it has captured the hurried pace of daily life in New York to the quiet oblique oases and sometimes obscured views of the city. The tonal quality of his photographs give the viewer a sense of times passed, the many layers of the city and its history, both natural and manmade, are exposed but with a voyeuristic eye. The surroundings are sometimes vague and uncertain as in his nocturnal pieces of the New York skyline or the waterfront areas of Manhattan and Brooklyn versus the clarity and precision of his daytime shots of the Chrysler Building and the San Remo .

My drawings and Tristan’s paintings are not derived from the observation of reality at all. Instead, we drew directly from the atmosphere and subject matter of Jeff’s photos. My drawings and Tristan’s paintings are resplendent with a sense of the captured moment. Each subject is brought to life with a delight in the build up of atmosphere on the drawn and painted surface. From skyscrapers, to bridge structures, to the tranquility of a winter Central Park skating scene, although of my drawings and Tristan’s paintings are based on Jeff’s photographs. One would never have known this without having been informed of it.

I have used water soluble graphite, water colour and conté on mylar, to produce a series fluid drawings and Tristan has used lively oils on wood panel for this show. In the process we have tried to transcend the ordinary, and re-fabricate another time and a sense of the mystery and beauty of a city that is truly remarkable.

Maxwell Haus Studios Presents : New York – III Visions

Photos - Jefferson Hayman, drawings/dessins - G. Scott MacLeod, peintures/paintings – Tristan Tondino

de/of New York City  Au/at Salle Griffon Room et/and Atelier Maxwell Haus Studio
Centre St. Ambroise 5080 rue St. Ambroise, Montréal, Québec

Vernissage/opening 3 Avril/April 3rd, 2008, 18 :00 – 20 :00  6 – 8 pm
Exposition continue/Exhibition continues 20.04.08

New York – III Visions, was initiated by G. Scott MacLeod and inspired by Jefferson Hayman’s photos of New York City. In 2004 MacLeod exhibited a series of drawings and paintings based on Monica T. Gotz’s pinhole photographs of Central Park. Collectively MacLeod and Gotz exhibited Central Park: Two Views, at the Arsenal Gallery Central Park, New York. So well received was this work and idea that MacLeod decided to ask New York photographer Jefferson Hayman if he would be interested in joining him and Montreal painter Tristan Tondino to produce drawings and paintings based on Hayman’s photos of New New City. This time leaving the sanctuary of Gotz’s Central Park and falling into Hayman’s ethereal vision of the broader timeless New York City, Tondino and MacLeod have painted and drawn their versions of Hayman’s seductive city that never sleeps. From vertical icons of the Empire State and Flat Iron buildings to the nocturnal Brooklyn and Manhattan watersides industires and communities. Truely a inspired collective project not to be missed.

The Photography – Jefferson Hayman

The import placed on materials and process is emphasized in the photography of Jefferson Hayman. The use of negative space, filtered light and grainy tones create an ethereal aesthetic imbued with mysterious and compellingly eerie undertones.

The sense of history and nostalgia is most evident in his use of antique & self-designed picture frames. Using mostly mahogany, walnut and quarter-sawn oak finished with stains and dyes, his frames are either period or reflect the designs of the early 20th century & late 19th century American aesthetic. His use of objects demonstrates a care and appreciation for raw materials, often overlooked and ignored in contemporary photography. This attention to craftsmanship recalls the artistry and workmanship of cultures such as the Shakers whose product and designs extol function and quality. Shaker design is heralded for its clean, economic lines that unite form and function to reflect the Shaker philosophy that beauty rests on utility.

While his life and work are inexorably bound to the city that never sleeps, his photographs reflect a seclusion and solitude that induce the tranquility of a contented slumber. His black and white series of cityscapes evoke a nostalgic journey to an obscure and imperceptible time period. Inside his world, the viewer dreamily contemplates the comfort and resonance of the images which induce inexplicable moments of déjà vu.

Jefferson Hayman’s photographs are collected by President William Clinton, Robert DeNiro, David Mamet, Banana Republic Inc. and many other public & private institutions.