Works by Santa Barbara photographer Jean Morrison Phillips will be on display Nov. 1-30 in the Santa Barbara Central Library’s Faulkner West Gallery, 40 E. Anapamu St. An opening reception for the artist will be held 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2.
Focusing on intimate details, Phillips brings the viewer into her inner world in the exhibit titled “Subtleties of Place: Quiet Observations 700 Feet or 7,000 Miles from Home.”
“These images transport you across the globe, bridging the gap between cultures and showcasing the universal pursuit of the beautiful,” said Donna Dufault, a collector of Phillips’ images. “This show will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the world’s exquisite details.”
The handcrafted prints in Phillips’ “Silver Linings” series feature images made at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, her family’s world shrank to home, yard and countless walks around the neighborhood with their young daughter. Making photos became an essential way to remain connected to her creative process and the outside world amidst the worry and uncertainty of that time.
“These prints, meticulously crafted on handmade khadi paper with layers of genuine silver leaf and Japanese conservation tissue, possess a unique depth and subtle sheen that needs to be seen in person,” Phillips said.
Images in the “Traces of Splendor, Traces of Serenity “series were made in Thailand, and reflect Phillips’ experience of place, in this case one that was wholly unfamiliar to her.
From walking quiet side streets to visiting impressive Buddhist religious sites, she was repeatedly drawn into small parts of the scenes around her and said she felt a kinship with the unseen makers who had created them,
Phillips, who holds a BFA in photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology, has shown her work nationally and internationally. For more, visit www.jeanmorrison.com.