Above: The photographers who make up the Carrefour Photography Collective include Michael Eichwald, Stephanie Luke, Edward Beier and Harvey Spector.
By Randi Bjornstad
The four photographers all come from Northern California, and they call themselves the Carrefour Photography Collective. The word “carrefour” is French for intersection, specifically the spot at which four roads, coming from different directions, meet.
Each of these photographers has at least 40 years’ experience, and the dozens of photographs on display in the Maude Kerns Art Center’s new show, “On the Road,” reflects some of the sights that have captivated them on their travels.
There’s an opening reception for the show on April 21, followed on April 22 by a panel discussion with the four photographers to which members of the public may bring a digital image or two for a critique session.
Here’s a thumbnail sketch about the photographers and their work:
Edward Beier
Beier, who lives in Redding, has been creating photographs for over 60 years, first developing film in his mother’s kitchen during the late 1940s. He works primarily in black-and-white film and has a long history of exhibiting his work throughout Northern California.
He has been the photography show chairman for the North Valley Art League’s juried photography show for 17 years.
His words: “For me, a photograph is not definitive, but only a segment of the world observed at the moment. But it is that moment and that image which may provoke a totally new, exciting, or different thought or idea.”
Michael Eichwald
Also from Redding, Eichwald has been photographing for more than 45 years and has won many awards for his pieces, including first place for still life at the 2011 Sundial Juried Film Festival and the award of excellence twice at the Highland Juried Show.
He also is a longtime supporter of photography exhibits throughout Northern California.
His words: “(My) “primary motivation is to celebrate photographically the beauty of everyday surroundings and experience … strongly influenced by the traditional Japanese appreciation of the subdued, the weathered — the essence of the thing — and by what is humbly transient on our earth.”
Stephanie Luke
Coming from Cottonwood, Luke has 40-plus years’ experience as a photographer pursuing a wide range of subject matter. She left the darkroom for digital photography a decade ago and uses that medium for create images with surprising and sometimes mysterious juxtapositions.
Her work has been featured in photography magazines as well as exhibits throughout California and Oregon, including a solo show at the North Valley Art League in Redding in 2011 and a two-person show at the Maude Kerns Art Center in 2013.
She also has shown her work in Chicago and New York City.
Harvey Spector
Back to Redding, where Spector has worked as a commercial architecture photographer as well as in studio still life and portrait photography. He is interested both in traditional photographic processes such as platinum printing and current digital techniques.
Spector’s work resides in many private collections, and he has shown his pieces throughout California, including the Los Angeles Art Association and the Getty Research Institute.
His words: “I am moved to photograph by the joy of visual discovery, the sheer wonder of really look at things. My best photos often open an emotional portal onto a darker world, making myself and others feel what we often try to avoid.”
On the Road: Photographs by Edward Beier, Michael Eichwald, Stephanie Luke, and Harvey Spector
When: Through May 12
Where: Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene
Special events: Opening reception for the artists, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 21; panel discussion with the artists, followed by a photography critique session of work brought by local photographers from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 22
Information: 541-345-1571 or mkartcenter.org