Hemphill Fine Arts: Max Hirshfeld

Hemphill Fine Arts
Hemphill is a commercial gallery on 14th St. in Logan Circle. Although it has only been there since its 2004 relocation, the gallery opened September of 1993 in Georgetown. Hemphill exhibits contemporary artwork ranging in media by up-and-coming, mid-career, and established artists. According to their website, they exhibit "historically significant artwork and socially relevant subjects... to showcase important talent and provide artwork appealing to a broad range of interests."

http://www.hemphillfinearts.com/

Max Hirshfeld
Max Hirshfeld is a professional photographer based in Washington, DC. There is no CV or mission statement on his website, and the information he gives is sparse, but he is nationally renowned, with recognition from, amongst others, American Photography and PDN.

www.maxpix.com

What I am particularly interested in, however, is his Looking at Looking series, which features photographs of people looking at artwork in the museum galleries of the National Gallery in DC.

Looking at Looking #19

Looking at Looking #2

Looking at Looking #92

Thoughts
Max Hirshfeld's series is interesting because it explores what it means to view and interact with art. Viewing art in a museum can be an intensely personal and transcendent experience, as he captures in the serene, harmonious moments of #19 and #2. However, he reminds us that looking at art is also very social and fun, intended not only for experts, but everyone--families, children, people of all ages and backgrounds. These photographs explore questions not only that the committee will have to address, but that Stamp visitors ask when they look at the art in the building. Why look at art? Who is it for? How should it be observed? The work is relevant to the Stamp because its mission to showcase more art throughout the building is in itself, like Hirshfeld's work, a meditation on what it means to experience art.