Now Showing
Stewart Harvey
I Am What I Need To Be
The Odyssey of Identity in New Orleans
September 2-18, 2010
Stewart Harvey’s second solo show here at 23 Sandy Gallery is a photographic essay on the reverence for individuality and the culture of creativity in New Orleans. Character and characters abound in the Big Easy, but what separates New Orleans from other cities is that individual eccentricity is cherished, and not simply for what a gifted soul might contribute, but for its own sake as yet another example of the rich cultural coinage that turned New Orleans into a national treasure.
Harvey tells us, “coming from Portland, which though it shares much of the liberal spirit, the Crescent City seems more enamored by cultural movements than the rabid individuals who create them. I was charmed by the willingness of New Orleanians to not only give sanctuary to the expressive odd ball, but to provide a platform for their development.” This body of work features images of the city’s Katrina survivors, notable musicians, costumed revelers and other quirky characters, presented both in framed photographs as well as his new artist book of the same title.
Stewart Harvey’s photographs have been exhibited and published widely during his 30-year career in Portland as a commercial and fine art photographer. He is a recipient of an Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship and his work is in the collections of the Portland Art Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, The New Orleans Museum of Art, The State Museum of Louisiana, and several university archives.
Preview a full online catalog of I Am What I Need To Be here.
Above image: © Stewart Harvey, Second Line Celebration, 2007
