San Francisco has spawned some truly legendary creative minds. Master of landscape photography Ansel Adams, literary icons Robert Frost and Jack London, "Mama of Dada" artist and ceramicist Beatrice Wood, and, more recently, Hugh Shurley, a nationally acclaimed photo artist with a style that could undoubtedly be considered revolutionary. To see what he has to offer, head out to the Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts this weekend for the opening of an exhibition of his works, Cut, Edit and Embellish — A Life in Collage.Basically, Shurley likes creating layers. He begins by printing the original shot on several transparent sheets of Plexiglas. Then, he uses found objects — other photos, historical documents and personal mementos — and arranges them between the layers, adding what he calls figurative and literal depth. He says that the completed product "represents a process of trying to discover and accentuate the many tales within the photo. Each assemblage is unique, conveying a simple impression, but also opening up a range of interpretations, stories and meanings that become apparent when you look carefully into them, through them."
Shurley has exhibited his works all over the country. He's taught, lectured and even published a few books. (On a side note, one of his books is an out-of-print work titled The Ribbon: A Gift of Remembrance, a long poem of comfort for the loved ones of people who died from AIDS.) He's been featured in a boatload of publications, everything from Rolling Stone to The Washington Post, and he's even produced book-jacket illustrations. When you come right down to it, he's ultra-talented and skipping out on this exhibit is not recommended.
Come and meet Shurley at the opening reception, which takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fri., Oct. 15. From 10 a.m. to noon on Sat., Oct. 16, he presents a slide show and offers a comprehensive look and explanation of his works.
The gallery is located at 1627 W. Snow Circle in Old Hyde Park Village. Hours are 6 to 8 p.m. on Fri., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 813-251-1800 or go to www.tgpa.org.
—Leilani Polk
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2004.