Culture
Striking Photographs Of Paris On Display In Mansfield
By: Emily Votaw
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Oftentimes the magical aura of a certain place and time can only be captured within a very specific time, especially when it comes to the art of photography. Such is the case with the gorgeous photos of 35 Parisian bridges taken at night by entrepreneur and professional photographer Gary Zuercher over the course of half a decade. In 2014, Zuercher compiled those photos into the award-winning coffee table-sized tome The Glow of Paris: The Bridges of Paris at Night.
Jan. 21 through Feb. 27, a selection of 86 prints from the book will be on display at the Mansfield Arts Center (700 Marion Ave., Mansfield), with an opening reception for the exhibition on Jan. 21, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Within months of the book’s release, it began accumulating impressive accolades from art authorities around the country and across the globe. The London, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, San Francisco and Paris Book Festivals all have recognized Zuercher’s work, and in 2015 the book received the prestigious IPPY Gold Medal. The photographs were also recently added to both the collections at Georgetown University and the Library of Congress.
“(These photos) show something that people don’t normally see,” said Zuercher of his work. “A beauty that is not totally evident. Most people see the bridges in the day – but in the night, they take on a luminous glow; they’re spectacular.”
“This exhibition presents a rich tapestry of images that delight and intrigue,” said Dr. Scott Ruby, curator of the Mansfield Center for the Arts collection, in a press release detailing the upcoming exhibition. “The photographic technique maximizes the warmly luminous highlights and the dramatic shadows evident in these architectural masterpieces.”
Perhaps most the most engrossing aspect of the exhibition for the viewer will be the in-depth histories of the bridges that are provided alongside the photographs. For example, early on July 23, 1944, a 19-year-old girl shot and killed a Nazi officer on the pont de Solferino (modern-day Passerelle Léopold Sédar Senghor bridge). Subsequently, she was captured and given a death sentence. However, she escaped and eventually became a notable journalist.
Zuercher said that the upcoming Mansfield exhibition came about thanks to the enthusiastic attitudes a few of his Mansfield-based friends maintained towards the project. After the Mansfield exhibition, Zuercher said that the photographs will be taken to other venues throughout the country shortly after.
Currently, Zuercher is pondering two more epic photo missions: photographing the great bridges of Europe, as well as the over 700 fountains in Paris.
Zuercher will be at the opening reception for the exhibition, and copies of the book will be available for purchase. The book is also available for purchase on Amazon and at marcorp-editions.com. The exhibition is made possible by Gorman-Rupp Pumps and the Ohio Arts Council.