Let’s journey with Janet Glazer as she wanders the city and surrounding areas and shows us her viewpoint in her latest exhibit of photographs in Travel by Design II. This is a continuation of her life’s travels and sights in Travel by Design I since 2003.

Self-taught in photography, Janet has always had an eye for strong composition, dramatic contrasts and interesting textures and movement. Janet tells the story:

“I have been involved in the world of dance, music and art since I was a child. Eventually I had to decide what I was going to focus on, so my dance and art worlds merged. I transplanted the movement of the body onto paper. The music and dance exploded with calligraphic line combined with watercolor and pastels.”

When Janet began experimenting in photography to expand her artistic media, the sights that interested her had muted earth-toned palates. Sometimes, she hand painted photos to strengthen the colors.

After many years of photographing and painting, Janet felt a need to visit European Concentration Camps. What she saw was hideously grotesque.

“I arrived with the tour at each concentration camp and they were ‘cleaned up’ like tourist attractions. The lawns were green; the shacks cleaned. There was nothing pretty about being there. I took black and white photographs because they captured the true horror and drama I felt.”

Another camp on this trip had held children who were kept for adoption and later cheap labor. They escaped death only because they met Aryan physical standards. Their lives’ tragedy: these children never knew their true identity or faith. Color photographs could never convey the sadness, loneliness, and alienation felt by these damaged adults.

In developing her style and focus, Janet discovered she loved architecture; “she could feel the stone.” There is an elemental aspect to the building materials: stone, wood, and surrounding landscape. Textures can be man made on the surface, and naturally evolved and eroded. Yet, there is structure, focus, and design. These are all the elements Janet hopes you will see and “feel” in her photographs. Printing her photos on fiber paper emphasize the texture.

New Century Artists Gallery and Janet Glazer welcome you to this exhibit. Please, take a look.