“People, Places and Things,” the current exhibition at the Edgewood Gallery, provides full exposure for works by David Gandino and Joyce Backus: He’s taken photos in Central New York, Europe and other locales; she creates mixed-media, glass sculptures and jewelry.
First, Gandino’s images portray subjects ranging from Mirror Lake in Tully to the Provincetown Harbor, from a castle high above the Danube River to Paris at night, with the Eiffel Tower fully illuminated.
Among other things, he’s interested in scenes by rivers. His photo, “Passau, Germany II,” takes viewers down by a shoreline and on to fog and a tower-shaped building in the distance. Passau is known as the Three Rivers City.
In addition, Gandino photographed Prague in the Czech Republic, focusing on branches hanging over the Vltava River and near-by buildings.
Elsewhere, the exhibit presents his photos of an iron grate in front of a doorway not far from the Seine river, of four boats off a Cape Cod beach, of Venice, Italy. The latter image is tight, almost cramped, as it looks at part of the San Marco district, at the exterior of a well known restaurant, Ristorante da Ivo.
The array of photos demonstrates Gandino’s ability to step up his game, to do interpretative work. Near Elbridge, he shot what appears to be a swamp, capturing trees, water, vegetation and one sign of humanity: an abandoned bottle. The image is moody, murky, full of uncertainty.
Similarly, his photo of the Meadowbrook Basin, near Syracuse’s Barry Park, is a fine image. It encompasses frost on the ground as well as a combination of greenery, shadows on the water, trees in the background and a majestic sky. The panoramic photo preserves a moment in time.
Backus, meanwhile, has a bunch of her vessels on display, including platters, vases and a bowl. The show highlights her designs and the variety seen in her pieces.
Viewers will encounter works such as “Rainbow Cube,” a cube-shaped vessel with bright colors, and “Midnight,” a vase emphasizing dark colors.
There’s “Guilded Platter,” decorated with patterns looking like streaks, as well as “Emerald Sentinel.” It evokes feelings of a time past.
Other pieces further document the range of Backus’ mixed-media sculptures. In one work, she details imagery of leaves on glass. In another, trailways decorate the surface of “Sapphire Blue.”
The show displays other interesting artworks including “Chalice Luminary,” Ruby Sentinel,” and “Ivory Peacock Swirl,” one of the best sculptures at Edgewood.
Finally, Backus is an artist with multiple interests. The exhibition also presents a selection of her jewelry, including bracelets, pendants and earrings.
This certainly isn’t the first time her work has received public exposure. In the past, she’s taken part in the Syracuse Poster Project. A poem by Nan Gartner was paired with Backus’ artwork depicting a figure with a bike who stands near the Erie Canal bike path. That piece incorporated shadows and striking colors.
Gandino, on the other hand, hasn’t exhibited his images on an extensive basis. The Edgewood show does a nice job of showcasing his photos, of accessing his portfolio.
“People, Places and Things” is on display through Aug. 11 at Edgewood, 216 Tecumseh Road. The gallery is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. For other information, go to edgewoodartandframe.com.
Carl Mellor wrote about visual arts for the Syracuse New Times from 1994 to 2019. He continues to cover artists and exhibitions in the Syracuse area.
