“Close to Simple,” an exhibit of photography and handmade frames by Don Farrell of Cambridge, will open at Pine Center of the Arts on October 12.
For as long as Farrell can remember, he’s been a photographer. “It’s hard to know when I started because I’ve just always done it,” he said. “Dad was photographer. Grandma was a photographer – she was a horrible photographer but she still loved taking pictures.”
Farrell continued, “During the 1920’s Grandpa Farrell gave my grandma $2 to buy a dress. She happened upon a camera at the store and bought the camera instead.” Although she often cut off people’s heads in her shots, grandma always had her camera at every family event, ready to snap photos.
“That was one of the reasons Dad was so into photography. He got that from his mother,” Farrell said. His father passed the joy of photography to both Farrell and his sister, making it a family tradition. While his sister was a portrait photographer, Farrell’s focus is sharing his artistic view of the world.
Farrell finds his inspiration in almost everything in nature. “Basically, anything that catches my eye; interesting composition, lights and shadow. Or patterns in ice or even in concrete, things that have been well worn,” Farrell said of what inspires him. “It’s hard to walk by any flower without wanting to take a photo of it.”
Farrell continued, “I get really close to examine things in nature, real close-ups of the inner parts of a flower, leaf or fungus, whatever it might be. There are micro patterns in everything that’s living, and that expands into a larger set of patterns. If I look at something really close and blow it up, in turn it becomes something different.”
In addition to photography, Farrell is a woodworker who constructs his own frames and mats.
“I hope my art encourages people to look at things around them more closely. I hope people see beauty in it and want to look closer,” Farrell said. “I’d be pretty happy with that.”
Farrell’s photography and handmade frames will be on display October 12- November 4, with an opening reception 4-6 p.m. on Friday, October 12 at Pine Center for the Arts. Light appetizers, wine and beer will be served. The reception is free and open to the public.
To view Farrell’s art, go to https://thirstywood.com/.
Located in Pine City, the Pine Center for the Arts has been serving the Greater Pine City area since 2009. With a variety of programming opportunities, the non-profit, volunteer-led facility is a gathering place for artisans and art lovers alike. Artists interested in displaying their work or teaching others their skills are welcome to contact the Pine Center for the Arts. For more information, please see www.pinecenter.org.
