EXHIBITION EXHIBITION June 8, 2022 QUIRKYVISION Photography by Meryl Meisler Words by Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico When you talk about influential women in the field of photography, Meryl Meisler certainly comes to mind. Her lifetime achievements radiate the energy and dedication she has devoted to her practice through her passion found in photography. The Norita camera fits Meryl like a glove, it has become the tool for her intuitive, spontaneous, and authentic look at the world she engages. “Being a photographer, I have gained a sense of purpose and the importance of being open-minded to familiar and previously unknown. It reinforces my sense of personal perception and meaning through experiences, places, people, meetings, and emotions. I am here for a reason.” - Meryl Meryl remembers growing up seeing a camera in her grandfather's and father's hands always documenting their lives. Neither of them were photographers but the camera was an integral part of their very existence, and Meryl became very familiar with it at an early age. Meryl was seven when she got her first camera, and it was the beginning of her journey as a photographer. She describes her biggest influence as photography being just a part of her life. It wasn't until her visit to MoMA in the Fall of ‘73, when she saw a Diane Arbus Exhibit and described it as a, “moving experience, like witnessing photography for the very first time.” Meryl was enrolled in her first photography class in 1973 at the University of Wisconsin, where the professor Cavalliere Ketchum introduced Meryl to the ‘French Connection’, the work of Jacques Henri Lartigue, Brassaï, and Lisette Model. Meryl shares their influences, “Lartigue’s decades-long visual diary of playful family and friends, Brassai’s effervescent and daring Paris by Night, and Model’s upfront street and performers inspired my visual diary of family, friends, work, and nightlife celebrating with the snapshot aesthetic. Wanting to study with Model was reason enough to move to NYC in 1975.” After receiving her degree from the University of Wisconsin, Meryl returned to New York and studied with renowned photographer Lisette Model. Meryl shares a pivotal moment, “I think the main thing I learned from her was that it was the image, the story; it wasn’t the technique. It wasn’t specifically the lighting, but it was the genuine gut feeling of a photograph. And I thought the most important thing that she gave me was just to go forth, go forth and keep doing what you’re doing because it’s real. She only gave positive comments. I only took one class with her, I did other ones, but it was very pivotal.” The ‘French Connection’ does not stop there, as Meryl explains, “Flash forward to 2012; Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, a French filmmaker, living in Bushwick and owner of BIZARRE, a drag/burlesque club, discovered my work while researching his new neighborhood. BIZARRE published “A Tale of Two Cities Disco Era Bushwick” (2014) and “Purgatory & Paradise SASSY ‘70s Suburbia & The City” (2015). Sauvaire helped me edit “New York PARADISE LOST Bushwick Era Disco” (Parallel Pictures Press 2021) from concept to finish. French director and journalist Sophie Peyrard, did the first review of my books in a French magazine, Lui. After that, she made a film about my work for ARTE. You can view the film on YouTube. Sophie Peyrard introduced my work to Fany Dupêche, Project Director, who invited me to participate in Festival Portrait(s). Merci beaucoup!" Meryl adores live theater, and like Shakespeare believes “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely the players”. These are the sets Meryl lives in, how she experiences life, this is her inspiration to create the unique portraits with truth and authenticity. Meryl did not walk onto her sets as a photographer, but as a player in the same game, that just brought their camera along. She was not always photographing but simply participating and having fun. Her fellow players opened up to her, and this is when the magic happened. She engages subjects that some are uncomfortable with, and with open arms, an artful eye, and contagious smile, her enthusiasm and humor instantly makes for a genuine connection, allowing for the magic to take place. I know this for a fact. I have been fortunate to experience this connectivity and magic. We met one evening at a NYC Women Street Photographers get together hosted by Gulnara Samoilova. I was walking across the room of very impressive women photographers when I walked to get some wine, our paths crossed. “Meryl Meisler” as her hand extended, I stumbled for my words, who am I? I mumbled Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico. “Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico” Meryl repeated with such enthusiasm, “With a name like Ghostlaw, you need no other name! Just Ghostlaw!”, and in that moment I stepped into my skin. Meryl embraces people for who they really are, perhaps inspiring them to be everything they could be. Meryl captures the “joie de vivre”, a sense of the excitement of the moment, accepting and admiring the uniqueness in all of us. She does not try to change anybody she photographs, but falls in love with who they truly are. Meryl describes her work, in retrospect, “I have come to realize that for me, photography is a form of visual memoir. I photograph the people, places, things, and things that call my attention and usually lift my spirits. My work traverses documentary, performative and street photography.” Meryl spends much of her time in her new darkroom in her home making beautiful silver gelatin prints from negatives when not out shooting with her three Noritas, a Japanese medium format camera and optics. Her babies are near and dear to her and are a unique attribute to the way she shoots, and very much indicative of her personality. Meryl has grown from her dedication and commitment to the field of photography. “Being a photographer, I have gained a sense of purpose and the importance of being open-minded to familiar and previously unknown. It reinforces my sense of personal perception and meaning through experiences, places, people, meetings, and emotions. I am here for a reason.” We are grateful to Meryl for her candor and authenticity not only in her photography, but in the way she embraces the world around her. We look forward to the next ‘French Connection’. For more inspiration, have a look at their website, and follow them on instagram. Be inspired and get their books, and if you have a chance to see their work in person, it is a must! There is a good chance you will see Meryl there, say hello and experience the magic for yourself. This is the perfect time to share with you the latest addition to Meryl’s ‘French Connection’, her Press release from her up and coming exhibition at the tenth Portrait Festival in Vichy France. Meryl Meisler: QUIRKYVISION PORTRAIT(S) Festival A Photography Encounter in Vichy, France June 24 to September 4, 2022 Every day, 10:00 to 19:00 Saturdays 10:00 to 22:00 from July 14 – August 15th Meryl Meisler's QUIRKYVISION will be installed at Le Palais des Congrès de Vichy during the PORTRAIT(S) Tenth Annual Festival in Vichy, France, from June 24 through September 4, 2022. Impertinent and humorous, Meryl Meisler plunges us into a captivating city and time, 1970s and 1980s New York. Her shots celebrate disco evenings and strip-tease clubs, her Jewish family and Long Island suburb, or life in a public school in one of the roughest Brooklyn neighborhoods. Inspired by Diane Arbus and Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Meryl Meisler, who was born in 1951, studied with legendary photographer Lisette Model while documenting her own life, with her camera screwed to her quirky eye. It was only when she retired from being a teacher in 2010 that she began releasing her archives, which led to the creation of this event. As a time capsule of New York in the seventies and eighties, her shots are a simultaneous celebration of discos and strip clubs, her Jewish family and Long Island suburb, or NYC public school life in one of Brooklyn’s toughest neighborhoods. Impertinent and comical, Meryl Meisler captures in black and white or color moments of pure joy at the center of daily hardships, plunging us into a fascinating time and city. This tenth Portrait(s) Festival in Vichy will celebrate the arts in the plural and have a lot of surprises. The Grand Casino will be transformed into a temple of photography, with exhibitions, conferences, and projections before moving into the public space, in this spa city by the Allier River. The thirteen exhibitions feature work by Christophe Acker, Charlotte Boudon, Omar Victor Diop, Henrike Stahl, Marie Magnier, Meryl Meisler, Éric Poupy, Kourtney Roy, Komath Studio. Brigitte Patient. Christian Tagliavini. Alain Willaume, and photography by ninth-grade students at the Collège des Célestins. Come on a delightful photographic wander through Vichy, virtually or in person! Note: Meryl Meisler will be present at Portrait(s) Vichy on June 24th and June 25th. VIEW MERYL'S PORTFOLIO CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

I am a passionate photographer from Bangladesh. Mostly I do street photography and have special interest in spatial landscapes. I am a believer in the beauty that surrounds us. It's not always about going to exotic locations to find beauty. I look for that beauty in my own neighborhood believing in its simplicity it has to offer. AHSANUL HAQUE FAHIM be inspired Gallery // ARTIST'S STATEMENT // I am a passionate photographer from Bangladesh. Mostly I do street photography and have special interest in spatial landscapes. I am a believer in the beauty that surrounds us. It's not always about going to exotic locations to find beauty. I look for that beauty in my own neighborhood believing in its simplicity it has to offer. LOCATION Dhaka, BANGLADESH CAMERA Nikon D7200 CATEGORY street @FAHIM_DEOBSCURA FEATURES // Spatial Landscapes The Outskirts Grief of a Megacity Celebration of Life

As a photographer, my goal is to use photography to draw the viewer in. I want to create an image that tells a story, captures a client’s vision or creatively depicts architecture, nature and still life in their most raw and honest forms. Every day 5 a.m passes me by. While I am asleep there is a world that I am completely detached from. When I begin settling in for the evening there are countless others getting themselves ready to start their day. From bakers and farmers to gas station attendants and factory line workers, we live in a world that never truly sleeps. Productivity and services continue to be provided while many of us are asleep and dreaming. When I wake up in the morning I can, without a second thought, enjoy freshly made bread, produce picked hours earlier or even a newly paved road. The 5 a.m. project developed out of an interest to step outside of my 9-to-5 world; to document places, people and livelihoods at — or as close as possible to — 5 a.m. The world may look very different when not congested with people and cars but that does not mean we have all settled in for sleep. Welcome to 5 a.m. BRIAN DOUGLAS be inspired Gallery // ARTIST'S STATEMENT // As a photographer, my goal is to use photography to draw the viewer in. I want to create an image that tells a story, captures a client’s vision or creatively depicts architecture, nature and still life in their most raw and honest forms. Every day 5 a.m passes me by. While I am asleep there is a world that I am completely detached from. When I begin settling in for the evening there are countless others getting themselves ready to start their day. From bakers and farmers to gas station attendants and factory line workers, we live in a world that never truly sleeps. Productivity and services continue to be provided while many of us are asleep and dreaming. When I wake up in the morning I can, without a second thought, enjoy freshly made bread, produce picked hours earlier or even a newly paved road. The 5 a.m. project developed out of an interest to step outside of my 9-to-5 world; to document places, people and livelihoods at — or as close as possible to — 5 a.m. The world may look very different when not congested with people and cars but that does not mean we have all settled in for sleep. Welcome to 5 a.m. LOCATION Ontario CANADA CAMERA Canon 5d Mark III CATEGORY documentary, street, portrait, architecture, urban WEBSITE http://www.bdouglasphotography.com @BRIANRDOUGLAS @BRIANRDOUGLAS @BRIANDOUGLASPHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // 5 A.M.

I like to explore image interpretation by using a variety of techniques such as camera-less, film and digital media, whereby, I am constantly striving to observe and form my own unique frame of the visual situation laid out before me either in colour or in black and white, studying the subject matter and exploring its potential visual connection beyond just representing the view seen through a lens, shaping its context to produce more ethereal and challenging imagery. Many of my photographic projects originate from a desire to invite the viewer to witness some of the subtle unseen details of our environment, whether it is an offbeat street scene, a conceptual observation of the natural world or a more intimate study of a person's life and how they function within it, respectively. ANN PETRUCKEVITCH ARTIST'S STATEMENT // I like to explore image interpretation by using a variety of techniques such as camera-less, film and digital media, whereby, I am constantly striving to observe and form my own unique frame of the visual situation laid out before me either in colour or in black and white, studying the subject matter and exploring its potential visual connection beyond just representing the view seen through a lens, shaping its context to produce more ethereal and challenging imagery. Many of my photographic projects originate from a desire to invite the viewer to witness some of the subtle unseen details of our environment, whether it is an offbeat street scene, a conceptual observation of the natural world or a more intimate study of a person's life and how they function within it, respectively. LOCATION UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Nikon D3500, Canon 5D Mark 1 CATEGORY fine art photography, ICM photography WEBSITE https://www.annpetruckevitch.com/ @ANNPETRUCKEVITCH FEATURES // Nature Knows Best

My interest in street photography is to constantly observe everyday scenes and the extra-daily things that we have around us. My interest is to stop and observe while time does not stop. What street photography allows me is to relate to reality, to connect with what happens. Light and shadow is a way of taking an interest in spaces, spaces through which I move and try to be invisible. GABRIEL MIELES GUZMÁN be inspired Gallery // ARTIST'S STATEMENT // My interest in street photography is to constantly observe everyday scenes and the extra-daily things that we have around us. My interest is to stop and observe while time does not stop. What street photography allows me is to relate to reality, to connect with what happens. Light and shadow is a way of taking an interest in spaces, spaces through which I move and try to be invisible. LOCATION Guayaquil ECUADOR CAMERA fujifilm x20, Canon 7D and Canon Rebel Xsi CATEGORY street @ALGABOMIELES FEATURES // Hide & Seek

I was born in Vercelli a little city in the northern part of Italy where I still live today. The first approach with a camera was seven years ago. At first I was fascinated by night photography and starry skies, that was until I discovered street photography. I have travelled in the last seven years and I have taken so many street shots in many cities that in my opinion are perfect for this photography genre, like New York City, Los Angeles, London but also Milan and Genova in my beloved Italy. In this series I have enjoyed reworking shots that initially didn't convince me or that I thought was 'wrong'. I have been superimposing and working them until I have reached the result I wanted, trying to create my own style and give a personality to these shots. I like photography to communicate something, to evoke a sensation already experienced. I try to select only the photos that according to and can convey something to the viewer, it works a bit like music, to tell a story or a state of mind. LELE BISSOLI be inspired Gallery // ARTIST'S STATEMENT // I was born in Vercelli a little city in the northern part of Italy where I still live today. The first approach with a camera was seven years ago. At first I was fascinated by night photography and starry skies, that was until I discovered street photography. I have travelled in the last seven years and I have taken so many street shots in many cities that in my opinion are perfect for this photography genre, like New York City, Los Angeles, London but also Milan and Genova in my beloved Italy. In this series I have enjoyed reworking shots that initially didn't convince me or that I thought was 'wrong'. I have been superimposing and working them until I have reached the result I wanted, trying to create my own style and give a personality to these shots. I like photography to communicate something, to evoke a sensation already experienced. I try to select only the photos that according to and can convey something to the viewer, it works a bit like music, to tell a story or a state of mind. LOCATION Vercelli ITALY CAMERA Fujifilm XT2 , Canon Eos 70D CATEGORY street, ICM, abstract WEBSITE https://lelebissoli.portfoliobox.net/ @LELE_BISSOLI FEATURES // Reverberation

FILM FILM March 15, 2021 FILL THE FRAME Film by Tim Huynh Words by Bill Lacey Fill the Frame follows eight contemporary New York City street photographers. The film takes an in-depth look at their work as photographers and as individuals, documenting their journey up to this point. In the the summer of 2018, there was a window of opportunity for Director Tim Huynh to embark on his passion project. Traveling from Hawaii to New York for this production was no easy task for Tim, with the bulk of the funds coming from personal savings and time away from his family. In the summer of 2019, Tim's Kickstarter campaign raised the $17,385 needed to bring his film and these stories to life. The popularity of street photography is greater than ever. Witness the absolute daily deluge of posts on Instagram from all corners of the world. Almost everyone has a camera - whether a classic film Leica, the latest Fuji or Sony mirrorless, the institutional Canon or Nikon, or the venerable iPhone smartphone. The act of taking a picture seems as common today as breathing, albeit done safely behind a mask these days when on the street. It is not uncommon to hear statements that a billion pictures a day are being uploaded to Instagram - a number impossible to verify from the source, but after a few swipes through your feed wouldn’t be all that difficult to accept. Which leads me to the question that Michael Ernest Sweet asks in the new documentary film Fill the Frame, “has everything been photographed?” You probably know the answer to that already. And given that, why does one bother? Fill the Frame will help you understand why you should, by exploring the experience of an assortment of very talented New York street photographers framed (no pun intended) against an exploration into the history of the genre and the masters who defined it. "To me the photos were not enough, the person also needed an interesting story to share." - Director Tim Huynh By choosing New York City as the backdrop for the film, director Tim Huynh creates the perfect canvas from which to paint the portrait of the artist engaged in a journey of discovery to find meaning in the chaos of a city rich with complexity and beauty. The main cast consists of Dimitri Mellos, Jonathan Higbee, Julia Gillard, Lauren Welles, Mathias Wasik, Melissa Breyer, Melissa O’Shaughnessy, and Paul Kessel. All the photographers presented come from distinctly different backgrounds but share an uncontrollable passion and purpose to click the shutter. Huynh follows these photographers around on the street, documenting their approach, letting them tell the story in their own words. And these stories are engaging. There will likely be one or two that you’ll particularly relate to, whether it be one aspiring to be a photographer from an early age to one picking it up late in life, discovering the passion almost by accident. There’s also something wonderfully refreshing in the way Huynh wraps these stories with expert commentary on the history of photography by Sandra Phillips, Colin Westerbeck, Jeff Mermelstein, Richard Sandler, Matt Weber, Meryl Meisler, and Michael Ernest Sweet. After having to abandon my daily trip to NYC one year ago as the pandemic hit, this film was a much needed ‘pick me up’. It reminded me of why I love the city, why it is one of the best places on the planet to practice the art of street photography. Each photographer offered an honest and inspiring perspective. I think the best compliment I can offer to each of them is “I wish I took that shot”. Fill the Frame will get you thinking about your photography, will give you some fresh ideas, will inspire you to get out and shoot. And while the controversies will rage on about what approach to street photography is legitimate or not, is film better than digital, is it all worth it in this oversaturated social media existence, Fill the Frame is a love letter to something we hold near and dear to our hearts. Oh, and if you really didn’t know the answer to Michael Sweet’s question, it’s “probably”. I take that to mean there’s still room for at least one more shot. Director, Producer, Editor: Tim Huynh Director of Photography: Jessica Gallegos Assistant Camera: Ayden Byrnes BTS Photographer: Eugene Lee Sound Design: Pacific Music Productions Website - https://www.filltheframefilm.com Media materials provided by the filmmaker VIEW TIM'S PORTFOLIO CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Today I see myself as an author photographer. A term that was coined in the 80s by the art critic and curator Klaus Honnef. I have been working on very different topics for years. If, like me, you have been taking photographs for 45 years, this is a tried and tested means of having different seedlings to trigger your gaze and perception again and again. My roots lie in the new color photography of the 80s with its street and urban landscape photography is something I still feel strongly connected to today. MATTHIAS GÖDDE ARTIST'S STATEMENT // Today I see myself as an author photographer. A term that was coined in the 80s by the art critic and curator Klaus Honnef. I have been working on very different topics for years. If, like me, you have been taking photographs for 45 years, this is a tried and tested means of having different seedlings to trigger your gaze and perception again and again. My roots lie in the new color photography of the 80s with its street and urban landscape photography is something I still feel strongly connected to today. LOCATION Beckum GERMANY CAMERA/S Fujifilm X-T3, X100V and the GFX 50s II CATEGORY street, urban landscape, ICM WEBSITE https://goedde-photography.de/ @MATTHIASGOEDDE FEATURES // True Life Impressions

Photography is the best approach I have found in my quest for authentic resonance in the world and to understand the responses I get. ROMAIN COUDRIER ARTIST'S STATEMENT // Photography is the best approach I have found in my quest for authentic resonance in the world and to understand the responses I get. LOCATION Marseille FRANCE CAMERA/S Fujifilm XT30 and Canon Eos 600D CATEGORY street, documentary WEBSITE https://romaincoudrier.com/ @ROMAIN.COUDRIER Bifröst

Born in Rome in 1977, I am a freelance photographer based in Italy. I graduated in advertising graphics and later breathed the atmosphere of inks working in an old typography in the capital; this is how I deepened the use of the color that will then choose for the realisation of my projects. Today, through images, I love to tell stories and fragments of life thanks to very close and intimate shots that cancel the distance between subject and observer. My photographs aim to take on a documentary and at the same time artistic value. I love the feeling of primary colors, raw, honest and always poetic. This approach allows me to express the authentic dignity of the subjects, the real authors of my images. The art of framing poetry of everyday life...this is the photography for me. PAOLO RICCA be inspired Gallery // ARTIST'S STATEMENT // Born in Rome in 1977, I am a freelance photographer based in Italy. I graduated in advertising graphics and later breathed the atmosphere of inks working in an old typography in the capital; this is how I deepened the use of the color that will then choose for the realisation of my projects. Today, through images, I love to tell stories and fragments of life thanks to very close and intimate shots that cancel the distance between subject and observer. My photographs aim to take on a documentary and at the same time artistic value. I love the feeling of primary colors, raw, honest and always poetic. This approach allows me to express the authentic dignity of the subjects, the real authors of my images. The art of framing poetry of everyday life...this is the photography for me. LOCATION Rome ITALY CAMERA Fujifilm X-T1, Fujifilm X100V CATEGORY fine art, reportage, and street WEBSITE https://paoloricca.eu/ @PAOLORICCAPHOTO FEATURES // Around Angelus People Of The Land: The Earth's Sweat

Gianluca Mortarotti is a self-taught photographer based in London, UK. The roots of his interest in photography lie in his father's work, from developing films in the darkroom at a very young age to wedding photography works, which introduced him at first to the world of photography. After his architecture and building engineering studies, the photographer focused on life in cities by capturing candid moments and exploring urban contrasts and the oddity of human connections. ​With his work, he attempts to speak through images about contemporary social issues and comment on social reality without turning down the intriguing presentation of street scenes or the impressive appearance of images. His persona behind the camera brings out his life philosophy of looking for the exceptional in the ordinary and trying to make it visible through a fresh and unexpected approach, consistent and attractive aesthetic, and a narrative and metaphorical meaning of the images. ​In 2021 his work was selected among the winning images of the Life Framer competition (World Travelers category). He also self-published his first book “LSD – Lockdown Street Diary” in 2021, a collection of street photographs that showcases fragments of life before, during, and after the lockdown in London capturing the complexities of everyday life in this unprecedented time. GIANLUCA MORTAROTTI be inspired Gallery // ARTIST'S STATEMENT // Gianluca Mortarotti is a self-taught photographer based in London, UK. The roots of his interest in photography lie in his father's work, from developing films in the darkroom at a very young age to wedding photography works, which introduced him at first to the world of photography. After his architecture and building engineering studies, the photographer focused on life in cities by capturing candid moments and exploring urban contrasts and the oddity of human connections. With his work, he attempts to speak through images about contemporary social issues and comment on social reality without turning down the intriguing presentation of street scenes or the impressive appearance of images. His persona behind the camera brings out his life philosophy of looking for the exceptional in the ordinary and trying to make it visible through a fresh and unexpected approach, consistent and attractive aesthetic, and a narrative and metaphorical meaning of the images. In 2021 his work was selected among the winning images of the Life Framer competition (World Travelers category). He also self-published his first book “LSD – Lockdown Street Diary” in 2021, a collection of street photographs that showcases fragments of life before, during, and after the lockdown in London capturing the complexities of everyday life in this unprecedented time. LOCATION London UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA Fujifilm X-S10 CATEGORY street WEBSITE https://www.inframeswetrust.com/ @INFRAMESWETRUST In Frames We Trust

I am an Iranian artist and photographer based in Guilan, on the northern coast of Iran. Inspired by conceptual photography, I create minimalist landscape photographs that are strongly rooted in themes, ideas and symbolism. I have a background in painting and while photography is my preferred medium today, I often combines aspects of both into my working process, often inspired by my own thoughts and dreams, and chance and coincidence. To me, minimal photography is an art in the way that artists learn how to omit the extra elements which seem to be very necessary in such a hectic life. I see it as an international language to communicate with the people round the world. MOSTAFA NODEH be inspired Gallery // ARTIST'S STATEMENT // I am an Iranian artist and photographer based in Guilan, on the northern coast of Iran. Inspired by conceptual photography, I create minimalist landscape photographs that are strongly rooted in themes, ideas and symbolism. I have a background in painting and while photography is my preferred medium today, I often combines aspects of both into my working process, often inspired by my own thoughts and dreams, and chance and coincidence. To me, minimal photography is an art in the way that artists learn how to omit the extra elements which seem to be very necessary in such a hectic life. I see it as an international language to communicate with the people round the world. LOCATION Guilan IRAN CAMERA Canon 7D CATEGORY landscape, fine art photography @NODEHPHOTO FEATURES // Notes On A Landscape