QU Gray Gallery to Host Harry Starr Art Exhibition
Quincy University’s Gray Gallery, located in Brenner Library (1800 College), will host the art exhibition Midwest Landscapes and Macro Photography, featuring works by Henry Starr of Carlinville, Ill. The exhibition will take place from February 27 – March 26, 2021, and is free and open to the public.
After graduating from college and farming for several years, Starr changed directions and found work as a web designer. Around the same time, digital photography was beginning to take root, and Starr combined his interest in motorcycles with his love of photography and started photographing motocross competitions. For seven years, he photographed local races as well as a variety of pro events. His work has been featured in publications, tv and websites, including Barnett’s, Rumble Magazine, ATV Racin’ Extra, Dirt Wheels Magazine, Movin’ Out, Atvscene.com, Art.com and iStockphoto.com. One of his earliest pieces even appeared on the hit motorcycle show, American Chopper.
In 2008, Starr changed his creative direction and began photographing a variety of landscape subjects. Starr’s work features subjects that are unique to the rural Midwest including, old barns, fences, farm ponds, hay bales, pastures, field roads, flowers, and woodlands.
“God surrounds us with beauty. My goal became to find subjects that are often overlooked and capture them in a unique way,” Starr said. “In a crazy world, landscape photography gives me purpose and allows me to see my surroundings in a completely different light. Whether it is black and white, or color, I enjoy finding subjects whose compositional elements seamlessly combine themselves to tell a story.”
Starr uses a Nikon D800E and a variety of lenses to create his landscape and macro photos. Starr processes the RAW files in Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom. While Starr admits that the equipment he uses is essential, he has found that it is secondary to composition and weather.
“When I first transitioned from motocross photography to landscape, I did not realize the importance weather plays in determining the outcome. It took several years to understand this concept, but when I did, my images changed dramatically,” Starr said. “My favorite time to photograph is early morning when pre-dawn light gives way to the warm tones of sunrise.”
The Gray Gallery is open Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Closed; Sunday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.Gray Gallery exhibits are available to view online at https://www.quincy.edu/gray-gallery/.
For more information, contact Gray Gallery curator, Robert Mejer at mejerbob@quincy.edu.
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