MOUNT VERNON — Scenes depicting rural life constitute “The Midwestern Landscape,” an exhibit of photographs and multimedia works by Sandy Dyas of Iowa City and Chicago artists Stephen Jonassen and Kenneth Burkhart, at Cornell College’s Armstrong Gallery through Feb. 9.
An opening reception is Sunday, Jan. 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.
Dyas’ photos of rural Iowa — most taken in Jackson or Johnson counties — embody the unique landscape including small towns, farms, summer carnivals, stock-car races, auctions, picnics and swimming holes. “My eye is drawn to paint that is peeling, fenders that are rusting, fences that are slowly falling apart. Embedded within the images is a love for the oddness of life,” says Dyas, a visiting instructor in photography at Cornell.
Jonassen’s photos focus on out-of-the-way places. “In small towns, back roads, and alleys I have discovered the visual interest inherent in the sometimes random, sometimes ad hoc juxtapositions of various kinds of structures upon their remote locales,” he says.
Burkhart’s panoramic images revolve around the landscape and the interaction of people and architecture. “My major influences have always come from the early Western photographers who were able to capture the true feeling of vista with their mammoth plate cameras,” he says. “I look for little vignettes that help define our relationship with nature. This allows me to work toward images that often invoke a narrative quality. Hopefully, the viewer can piece together a connection from their own experiences and enjoy them like a decent, visual short story.”