'That to Which I Belong'

Candid photographs featured in new Park Place Arts exhibit

By Kelly Dickey | The Herald BulletinAug 27, 2017

ANDERSON — After Eliot Reed sent out the promotional postcards for Park Place Arts’ latest exhibit, people didn’t know what to think of the mailer’s photo.

Many of the recipients jumped to thoughts of cancer as they looked at the image of a young woman hooked up to oxygen, wearing a hospital gown and lying under a blanket as she stared into the lens.

Reed isn’t sure what’s actually going on in the photo — he assumed she was about to have a baby.

“That’s kind of the interesting thing about it, too,” the Parks Place Arts owner said, “is you create your own narrative with it.”

There are 25 photos for viewers to interpret in Park Place Arts’ latest exhibit, “That to Which I Belong.” The show, which features photographs by Scott Forbes, kicked off with a reception Saturday and is open to the public through Sept. 29 at the gallery, 515 E. Eighth St.

Forbes’ photos feature seemingly normal environments and candid moments among people. But the nature of the shots have a different look to them, in part because they’re shot with film instead of digital, Reed said.

The gallery has featured work by numerous photographers over the years. Some have focused on landscapes, been more commercial, abstract, multimedia or purely black-and-white.

“This is a good fit in terms of trying to display the whole spectrum of photography — what you can do with photography,” Reed said.

In addition to the hospital photo, several pictures depict people lying or resting in bed. Others capture tender moments between loved ones as they embrace one another and appear to hold back tears.

Some are lighthearted and illustrate children playing. One features a man pulling a woman out of the water onto a giant inner tube in the pool. Meanwhile another shows two people holding onto a recliner on a sheet of ice outside, with snow and barren trees in the backdrop.

Rainy landscapes through a window and other nature photos are also featured.

In an era when photography seems more accessible than ever because of camera phones, many viewers have an attitude of “I could take that,” Reed said. But there’s an artistic element to the images Forbes captures.

“I think sometimes candid shots and personal shots like this can make people a bit comfortable, which is what art should do sometimes, I think,” he said.

Park Place Arts is open noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.