Miami Art & Culture

Three Sides of Seidman, a solo-exhibition of fine-art photography by internationally-recognized photographer, Barry Seidman opens Saturday, April 25th at Dharma Studio Contemporary Art. The gallery, located at 3170 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove, FL, will host an opening reception, with the artist, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. that evening and it is open to the public.

The exhibition, a first in the Miami area, will feature work from Seidman’s Blooms, Bagged and One World series. There will be a Meet the Artist event on May 9th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The show runs through May 23rd.

“We are thrilled to feature these three compelling series that celebrate the virtuosity of this extraordinary artist,” said Sachi Wagner, owner of Dharma Studio Contemporary Art. “This is the first time Seidman’s work will be exhibited in the Miami market and the first time the One World series will be shown outside of New York City.”

Blooms is a series of large-scale photographs on canvas that takes a microscopic look at flowers and creates a surrealistic painter-like quality. Seidman explained, “I wanted others to see them exactly the same way I see them in the camera; the detail is what struck me.”

One of Seidman’s Blooms photographs is currently the featured image in an international promotion by Leaf, Kodak’s high-end digital imaging division. The photograph was recently featured in two of the world’s largest photography expositions: Photokina in Cologne, Germany and Photo Expo in New York City.

Bagged is a series of rare, dye-transfer prints. The title refers to the motif of a brown paper bag in each image to frame or present the classic beauty of fruits and vegetables. The show was originally exhibited at Neikrug Photographica in New York City in 1982, when the use of an eight-by-ten-inch view camera and dye transfer printing were state-of-the-art for fine art and commercial photographers. This was the standard in photography to achieve the highest quality image.

“The prints on display here are the originals,” Seidman stated. “Time will not alter these images. This is the only and the final printing of this show, since the materials are no longer available to make dye transfers. Many of these vintage images are one of a kind.”

One World is a series of fine-art iris prints on heavy watercolor paper. As an extensive traveler, Seidman created a portfolio of images that captures the essence of each country visited through its people and places. “To see without feeling is only to look,” Seidman explained. “These photographs are my souvenirs…they bring me back to these places and express the feelings that I had when they were taken.”

As one of the top, advertising-print-media photographers in the country, Barry Seidman is well known in photography circles around the world. His client list is a who’s who in international brands including: Smirnoff, Panasonic, American Express, Visa, Colgate-Palmolive, GlaxoSmithKline, Coca Cola, Proctor and Gamble, Nabisco, RJ Reynolds, AT &T, Diageo, Pernod Ricard and various international travel and tourism groups. His work was recognized with every possible industry award including Clios, Tellys, Addys, the Art Directors Club and American Institute of Graphic Arts awards.

Seidman and long-time, business partner and wife Mary Ann Kurasz now live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and have a studio presence in New York City.

 “Seidman possesses a set of skills and discipline uncommon in the fine art world. His eye is trained for perfection, which gives a new dimension to his fine art photography,” Wagner added.

Dharma Studio Contemporary Art is located at 3170 Commodore Plaza Coconut Grove. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, call (305) 461-1777.