Enigmatic photographs at Mad Rose Gallery
Michael Lavin Flower with “Victoria,” far left, a nebulous portrait of his daughter as a young child, in his exhibition at Millerton’s Mad Rose Gallery on Friday, Oct. 13. 
Photo by Deborah Maier

Enigmatic photographs at Mad Rose Gallery

MILLERTON —  In Mad Rose Gallery’s spacious main room, Michael Lavin Flower’s mostly black-and-white photographs trace one man’s curiosity about nature and the built world as well as the very processes that transform simple recording of them into individual pieces of art. 

The Saturday, Oct. 7, opening of the show, Flower said, drew about 80 attendees; it runs through Sunday, Oct. 29.

Flower, long a commercial photographer and more recently an educator of elementary schoolchildren, explained the crossover and his many aesthetic choices in an artist statement: “Teaching has consistently reminded me,” he wrote, “that there is always a new concept of image waiting to be explored.”

The process of exploring, then manipulating images is basic to his entire oeuvre. The initial attraction is what he termed in a personal interview “ambiance—wind blowing, clouds floating, a shoreline in the distance referenced by the nearby sand dune, a reflection in a piece of glass. It’s all so subjective,” he pointed out. Any two people could be looking at the same thing but seeing it differently.

The constructed images—many of the ones present in the current show—represent for Flower a reinvention of space, where “a small piece of music gets to be more orchestrated.”

In the large-scale “Eliza’s Gift,” a layering of images on glass or plexiglass, overlays and partially reveals the hand and foot of a child seated on an asphalt walkway, working on a chalk drawing. Flower built the sturdy support for the camera and placed it in situ as his stepdaughter drew. 

With titles like “Social Distancing Markers Under Ice,” “Untitled (cherub),” and “Basso Profundo,” the mostly abstract chiaroscuro images n Flower’s “Lucid Dreaming” series deliver less, or more, or other than what they suggest. 

Of note for the future, Flower is planning a Millerton mural in his own idiom.

Latest News

Community playground: 
Eddie Collins Memorial Park

Children enjoy the expanded, repaired and resurfaced playground on at Eddie Collins Memorial Park.

JOhn Coston

Eddie Collins Memorial Park has been a mecca for generations of families in Dutchess County.

While it has been a hometown park for Millerton, families travel from nearby Connecticut and points south in the county to enjoy a day in the park or a Little League baseball game.

Keep ReadingShow less
Live music,
entertainment venues offer
many options

Stissing Center in Pine Plains offered a screening of the film ‘Our Farms, Our Farmers.’

Provided

Dutchess County offers a vibrant live music scene, with venues ranging from intimate bars to historic theaters. Whether you’re looking for a cozy night of jazz, folk, rock, or something more eclectic, these spots cater to every musical taste. From the homey Daryl’s House in Pawling to the lively Towne Crier Café in Beacon, you’ll find top-notch performances alongside great food and atmosphere. Whether you’re in the mood for a concert of classical music at The Chance Theater or a laid-back evening at a local pub, Dutchess County’s live music venues have something for everyone.

Daryl’s House
Located in Pawling, NY, Daryl’s House opened in 2014. Owned by Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates), the restaurant and music venue was inspired by Hall’s web series “Live from Daryl’s House.” Designed in an 18th-century barn style, it features award-winning American cuisine and an intimate music experience with a top-notch sound system.

Keep ReadingShow less
Connections:
Mid-Hudson
Regional
Library System

Millbrook Library Director Courtney Tsahalis celebrates the collection of 1018 books sent to the United Way for distribution to area children. The volumes were donated by participants in the summer reading program with one book given for each book read by a patron.

Provided

The well known adage “There is strength in numbers” can be clearly seen through the web of facilities throughout the Mid-Hudson Regional Library System including six libraries providing the sort of resources that grow strong communities and solid, well developed citizens who, in turn, support their towns in many ways.

NorthEast-Millerton Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson says that while each library has unique qualities which makes it special, they are also banded together as members of the system which provides a number of shared services and information. Libraries can learn about everything from regulations to up coming state budget plans and the latest trends in publishing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Horse boarding and training reflect long county tradition

Rick Maxwell of Danbury, Connecticut, visiting Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue’s namesake horse Lucky Orphan. Members of the public are welcome to visit with the rescue animals during operational hours after checking in with the main office.

Provided

Discover the best in equine boarding, training and sales and participate in a long tradition of equestrianism in Dutchess County. Barns cater to a wide range of skill levels and disciplines, ensuring that every unique rider has a place to fit their needs. Dutchess County is also host to a number of qualified equine therapists.

Mashomack Polo Club
Briarcliff Lane, Pine Plains, NY
Located on a historic 19th-century dairy farm in Pine Plains, the Mashomack Polo Club is an idyllic place for polo players of all levels to gather, learn and compete. The club offers professional lessons and clinics for polo players and a Saturday coaching league where players of all levels come together to play in matches “designed to help you learn the rules and hone your game,” according to Mashomack’s website. More information on lessons and boarding is available on their website, www.mashomackpoloclub.com, or by contacting Polo Manager Juan Olivera at (561) 601-9316.

Keep ReadingShow less