“Arsenic and Old Lace” by Vicky Culver An exhibit of manipulated photographs by Vicky Culver and Dian Sirkin is at McKay Imaging Studio and Gallery in Red Bank.
“Pix-Elated” will run through June 8 at the gallery, located on the second floor of 12 Monmouth St..
Sirkin’s photographic art pieces began in her black-and-white chemistry darkroom. She hand-colored her black-and-white photographs and experimented with double exposures, toners, different papers, etc. When she discovered what she could achieve using computer imaging programs, she converted to digital. She scans negatives and slides and using imaging programs, explores shapes and colors, moving pieces around, deleting and adding parts or borrowing from other images until it is aesthetically pleasing to her.
“Each photo starts as a visual thought, and after much experimentation, the computer allows me to transform my photographs into images as fluid and beautiful as paintings,” she said in an artist’s statement.
“Kinsale” by Dian Sirkin Culver began creating hand-crafted photo collages based on the colorful geometric designs of Amish quilts in 1996 as gifts for friends.
“I strive to hand-craft works that command attention, draw the viewer in, stirring imagination – as well as emotion; unique works that move beyond the photo, becoming more than the sum of their parts,” she said.
She later began to explore different ways of allowing the collages to take on a third dimension, either by including 3-D objects and other materials, or by the use of trompe-l’oeil.
Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 1- 7 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, call the gallery at (732) 842-2272 or visit www.mckayimaging.com.