SATURDAY, MARCH 1ST, 7-9PM: THE WINE SHOP AT THE ACORN CELEBRATES THE WORK OF PHOTOGRAPHER TODD KELLER
MAR 1st, 2008
The Wine Shop at The Acorn Theater knows that the appreciation of wine and art usually go hand-in-hand, and they are bringing that concept to Three Oaks in a big way. Every six weeks, the wine shop will host a different artist’s work, displayed on the walls of the shop. On March 1st, the shop will hold a reception to welcome and celebrate the work of Niles photographer Todd Keller, and guests will be able to meet the artist and discuss his work with him directly. The reception will be open to the public and will feature complimentary light hors d’oeuvres, and of course, great wines. The evening will also showcase the musical stylings of South Bend guitarist Glenn Nowak.
Keller’s photography consists primarily of stark images in black and white. His love for Chicago with its architecture, sculptures and many fascinating cemeteries shines through in all of his work. He feels that historic cemeteries have always been interesting subjects. The tranquility of a cemetery is offset by the destruction of the statuary and monuments due to time and the elements; a beautiful evolution. His series on local landscape photos representing this side of Lake Michigan are organic and yet fit in with his work, both in content, drama, and emotion.
Keller resides in Niles, MI. Born and raised in Shelbyville, a small farming community in Central Illinois, he had his first dark room class in high school, where he learned on the schools Inverted Lens Camera. In 1981, he studied cinematic film history and development at Southern Illinois University, and shortly after got his first 35mm camera and began shooting—his first subjects were his children.
In 1996 Keller went to an outdoor sculpture exhibition at the Art Institute in Chicago and it was there that he became fascinated with the juxtaposition of subject and surroundings—things we see in his work today. The series of photos and sculptures at the exhibition, by the artist Barry Flanagan, are among his favorites—the way they seemingly are leaping, dancing and encroaching on the city. Based on his experience at that exhibition, in 1997 he took a refresher course in film developing techniques at Southwestern Michigan, and has been focusing on photography ever since. Largely influenced by the work of Richard Nickel, specifically of his photography of Chicago, Keller is also strongly admires the work of artists such as Margaret Bourke-White and Walker Evans.
His first show was early in 2007, at the Riverfront Café in Niles, MI, and in October of 2007 a show of his iconic cemetery photos was introduced along with a montage of performance art for the evening at the café. His work can be seen in Frame of Mind Gallery and two cafes in Niles, MI. All the framing and matting is Keller’s own work.
For more information on The Wine Shop at The Acorn or Todd Keller’s work, please call 269.756.3879 and ask to speak with Jill.
There is no charge for this event.