If you feel strange going to church to see art work, don’t. Despite any of it’s religious or social beliefs Grace Episcopal Church on Bainbridge Island is an artful place in itself with its serene location off Day Road, it’s greenery and impressive glass facade right down to the origami-looking metal sculpture near the building’s entrance.
Even the parking stalls are artfully arranged.
Then one steps inside and is greeted by the re-emergence of island photographer Tom Schworer — an eight-piece collection of subtly golden-tinted sepia photos relating the balance of human and nature.
“We have to have a sense of what our place is in wilderness what our place is in the world,” Schworer said. “That’s a place that is physical and spiritual and emotional and practical …”
The figures in most of Schworer’s exploration of that place are so free in blurred distortion they look almost like the soul of the model being captured. Yet the wilderness backdrops are all so incredibly clear.
The only crisp and clear actual figure in the eight-piece collection is striking. It’s from a perspective looking down on a fragile and beautiful physique crouched and hugging herself amidst a ravaged forest swamp of sticks, dirt, weeds, roots and moss.
It’s representative of an echoing message that underlies Schworer’s work along with many others.
“Right now, we’re facing unprecedented challenges in terms of changing the way we live in the world if the world is to continue in its same path,” he said. “Everyone is aware of how what we do in the next 10 years will determine to a great degree what will happen to the Earth.”
Still, his artwork isn’t riddled with environmental advocacy, it’s very subtle, while most pieces seem to be more celebratory than preachy.
Like one of the face photos in the show — “Rainier Plateau” — which features an exuberant blurred figure, seemingly dancing in a circular clearing in the woods. It’s reminiscent of the dance photography Schworer’s has been shooting since the ‘80s.
“The art that I’m trying to produce is connecting the heart and the mind and the spirit,” he said. “So much in our world isolates these things.”
During the past nine or 10 years, Schworer said he’s been somewhat isolated from his work. While he kept shooting throughout, the printing and showcasing part of the photographic progress lay dormant to other things in life like a career in assemblage art. In that way, his show at Grace is a re-emergence.
During his time of hiatus, photographically, Schworer moved from the dark room to the computer (though he still shoots with an older model Rolleiflex and Rolleicord cameras) and he’s moved more and more toward the technique of time-exposure blurred images.
“I think it’s much easier to place oneself in that spot, I’ve been trying to make the figures more universal,” he said of the blur effect. “It’s always an incredible challenge to put this three-dimensional form that happens in time and space represented with a two-dimensional image that’s just one moment … I’ve always liked that.”
Photo fans can see Schworer’s results and even ask him about the process as the Gallery at Grace Church hosts a meet the artist reception from 1-3 p.m. Sept. 29 at the church tucked back at 8595 NE Day Rd. on Bainbridge, behind The Island School.
Then stick around Bainbridge and come back to Grace later that night to catch another arts-related event as Corinna Lapid-Munter, Don Warkentin and Samuel Brodsky perform an evening of tunes from the classical and musical theater repertoire under the title “Schubert to Sondheim.”
That show starts at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29, tickets are $12 adults/$10 seniors/$5 students. For more info on the concert call (206) 855-9643.
