One of Monalog’s members told me about an exhibit I should see and when he makes a strong recommendation I pay attention. I was able to visit the Roosevelt Project: Photographs by Fran Orlando exhibit on the last day before it closed at Bucks County Community College’s Hicks Art Center Gallery. Monalog had one of its first shows there and it’s a beautiful gallery.

During 1979-1980, Orlando photographed residents of the small town of Roosevelt, New Jersey. The town sprung to life in the 1930s as a New Deal project to relocate Jewish garment workers from New York City to the country. It ultimately failed as a social experiment but became a mecca for artists, writers and musicians.

The images Orlando made are sensitive and well seen. All were black and white and they were tastefully sized. Still, I felt letdown.

Originally the pictures were produced as silver gelatin prints and I am quite certain, they were wonderful. But sometime after that Orlando left the darkroom behind and forty five plus years later she felt they were part of the past. She felt times had changed as had technology, and she could not go back. So the original negatives were scanned and printed digitally.

I respect Orlando’s decision as an artist … it just makes me a bit sad. That having been said, I have to say that these are the finest digital prints I have seen, but that’s not really the point. Hot on the heels of my Russell Lee exhibit experience this was yet another disappointment. Not the magnitude concerning Lee, but a disappointment nevertheless. Why? Well, as good as the digital prints looked, they were not in my judgment what they could have and should been … that is what they originally were envisioned to be. Yes, technology has moved on and certainly it is easier to make a digital print than a silver gelatin one in the darkroom, but creating great art is not about easy … is it?

Just my point of view, and nothing I’ve said should take anything away from Orlando’s wonderful work … I just wish it had been presented otherwise.

Stay well,

Michael