Paul Cary Goldberg and Antony Ohman: Photo-Photo Juxtaposed

ArtBing McGilvray

Nov 11

Written By Bing McGilvray

November 13, 2024

By Bing McGilvray

Two superb solo shows of black and white photographs have recently opened at the Jane Deering Gallery: I Wish That I Could Show You Everything, by Paul Cary Goldberg, and I Spy/A Bird's Eye, by Antony Ohman. The two exhibits are juxtaposed in two separate rooms of the gallery. Something unique and special is going on here. Paul, 74, and Antony, now 30, share a passion - photography. These two carefully curated collections are the proof of that passion. The seasoned master engages the eager apprentice, mentor and student, each learning from and energizing the other. For centuries 'twas thus but now much more of a rarity. Witness the passing of the torch before the flame blows out.

In our accelerated age of Photoshop, iPhones, selfies, apps, social media and now AI, when everyone makes pictures and we are inundated by a relentless bombardment of images, it takes fierce determination, dedication and considerable time and expense to be a professional photographer. Paul and Antony are pros. They seem like indigenous ethnographers working diligently to preserve a tribal language in danger of extinction and losing the wonders therein.

This summer in Woodstock New York, Paul met colleague Jill Frank, who remarked after examining his work, "oh, you're a photo-photo guy", indicating there was no manipulation beyond adjusting the light and tonal quality of the finished photograph - just the camera, the operator and the subject, pure and basic. Well, it sounds simple. But to make an image that has visual impact and presents as a fine object, can take a lifetime of hard work and serious study.

A pro must know the history of the camera and the lens, the advancements in technology and variety of equipment, the parade of great photographers that came before and how they pushed the medium into a multitude of new realms. A knowledge of printing processes is vital. There is much to learn and always more. This is why Antony shares a small space in Paul's large Maplewood Avenue studio in Gloucester, similar to getting his master’s degree from the very distinguished Professor. They talk shop and then get busy doing it. As craftsmen and artists, they are esthetically copacetic.

I Wish That I Could Show You Everything

Paul Cary Goldberg's show is primarily divided into two groups: one representing his earliest work and the other his most recent. His candid shots of Boston kids were taken in the late 1970s, when he was Antony's age. His discerning eye is already present, scanning the scene until instinctively he knows when to click the shutter. Great joy and humanity exude from these pictures, the faces speak to us from some familiar past, childhood. I feel myself standing behind Paul, peering through the viewfinder with him. He is viscerally present in all his work.

On the opposite wall hangs a stunningly beautiful series of photographs from the 2010s of farm workers in Essex. The Old World lives on in the 21st century. In a long and impressive career, these may be Paul's best work yet, combining a signature intimacy with his subjects and a mature virtuosity as a photojournalist. In 2019 he published Tutta la Famiglia: Portrait of a Sicilian Cafe in America, with intimate photos taken pre-covid at Gloucester's Caffé Sicilia. As a document of a singular time and place, it's a classic of its genre.

Lastly, a separate corner of the room is dedicated to his late wife Lee, just her hands, taken close up as she lay dying. These delicate yet vividly detailed images reveal the ravages of age and seem to encapsule all the years of love they shared together. Powerful and unforgettable.

I Spy/A Bird's Eye

Antony Ohman has taken a different approach to his exhibition. Few people appear in his pictures but when they do, they trigger a surprise jolt. He's not without a subtle sense of humor. Hanging the framed photos in an innovative way, he invites the viewer to see them in relation to one another. Hopefully, this prompts a game of comparisons, a conversation between the images in the mind of the beholder. Not everyone will do it, and the photos are strong enough to stand on their own. Personally, I like intellectual puzzles, so I got what he was up to and enjoyed playing along. Antony's focus is not on faces but the places, patterns, textures, and moments that strike him. Look here, his camera says to him, exposing the wonder in the everyday world. His excitement to share it with us is palpable. He has a fine bird's eye and the technical ability to display it.

Antony visualized his show as a site-specific installation. Paradoxically, his photos were taken everywhere along his travels including Brooklyn, Ireland, Paris, Sri Lanka or right at home on Pavilion Beach. Antony Ohman is a brilliant and clever young artist, well along on his journey and now he and Paul Cary Goldberg have crossed paths. There is great mutual admiration and inspiration flowing between them. All of Paul's farm photos are highly detailed photogravures printed at the state-of-the-art Prints on Paper Studio in Cabot VT. Antony also employed the photogravure method in three photos after learning it from Paul.

I wish I could tell you everything but it's better if you just ...

G-O! A Goldberg - Ohman Joint (Exhibition) at the Jane Deering Gallery, now until December 8th.