Dixon's Contemporary Photographers

This Must Be the Place

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens always puts together an opening equally balanced between contemporary Memphis culture and elegant Southern tradition. The building and grounds elevate the status and greeters' smiles open the elite status to all who attend. Serving contemporary BBQ at a reception does wonders to unify the crowd in Memphis and with full tummies and ears tuned to live music, patrons are more apt to warmly receive artwork.

Thursday, Jan 19, opened the exhibit of contemporary photographers "This Must Be the Place". The common thread of identity and place cohered to reflect the magic, whimsy, and beauty of Memphis culture, gloss-coating blight and disaster. Tommy Kha's aesthetically gorgeous portrayals of flooded streets and battered belongings took any sense of disaster from the photographs. Ian Lemmond's odd, hidden placement of white plastic toy figurines (variations on army men) are ephermeral yet humorous. Nearby, the work of Anna Hollis showed mythical figures (unicorn heads) in real wooded settings, both enchanting and humorous with an aftertaste of slight disturbance and wonder.

Frances Berry and Michael Darough just made Memphis look pretty with an Eggleston influence in tone and color evident in Berry's work. The show is small but adequately sized to portray nostolgia to true Southern times and mid-century whimsey. The show is worth the view.