Exhibit
captures imagery, showcases local photographers
By Brian Brannon
On-line Forty-Niner
 Bathed
in eerie electric light scattered by a haze
settled upon the neighborhood at the wee
hour of 3 a.m., damp pavement sits silent
and still in a scene viewed only by those
wandering downtown Third Street in Long
Beach.
With a tripod and a shutter speed of about
three seconds, Ron Javorsky captured the
moment and shared it on Saturday with visitors
in “Exposure 2003,” the fifth annual photography
exhibition in the East Village Arts District
at Hellada Gallery.
A showcase for local fine art photographers,
the event features work shot in traditional
and digital formats, black and white and
color. This year, the event picked up Epson
as a corporate sponsor along with the Public
Corporation for the Arts, Samy’s Camera,
Fromex Photo-Lab and the East Village Association.
Photographs in the exhibition will be displayed
in more than 20 venues scattered throughout
the East Village Arts District.
Hellada Gallery owner Marek Dzida said the
event is a chance people to see photographers
in their own community.
“It’s basically fun and promotion,” Dzida
said.
“Exposure 2003” began with a fashion show
featuring student work from Brooks College
along with professional designs. A slide
show followed, and awards for the best photographs
in various categories capped off the event.
Javorsky, a student at Cal State Long Beach
working on his masters in jazz studies said
the event has given local photographers
a boost. With photography, Javorsky said
night scenes and jazz performances are his
favorite subjects.
“There are a lot of good photographers in
Long Beach and we need more and better ways
to showcase ourselves,” Javorsky said.
Photographer George Metivier has stood behind
a viewfinder professionally since he left
the U.S. Army as a photographer in 1955.
“When I came out, I just stayed with photography
for the rest of my life,” Metivier said.
Metivier’s photo, “Isis,” was chosen as
the artwork for the poster of this year’s
event. It combines the face of a woman and
a cat through a process he calls chaos.
The technique is a combination of double
exposure, solarization and a way of manipulating
the developer to produce a chemical fog
on the outer edges of the paper. After all
that, Metivier uses Crayola marking pens
to color in the black & white image.
“You’re taking all your talents and literally
painting a picture,” Metivier said. “It’s
mind-eye, eye to hand.”
The Hellada Gallery is located at 144 Linden
Ave. in Long Beach. “Exposure 2003” runs
through March 30.
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