Gallery News

A Day in Mike’s Life

by Jeff Dufour | Modern Luxury | December 30, 2013

Fifty years ago, the Beatles made history in DC—and Mike Mitchell’s photos tell the story.

History has a funny way of unfurling itself, and then, sometimes, doubling back. Dupont Circle photographer Mike Mitchell knows this well. He was 18 years old on Feb. 11, 1964, the day the Beatles played their first concert in the United States at DC’s Uline Arena—and he wasn’t there just to see the Fab Four, but to document the event.

Mitchell was directly in front of the stage that night, clicking away as a budding photographer. “I had heard the music, and I identified with it,” says Mitchell. “I really wanted to be part of the whole thing.” And part of it he was. Long before photographers were corralled and managed, Mitchell and his 200-odd fellow journalists had free reign during the evening.

And so it will be again. With the arena now fallen into disrepair and slated for development, the DC Preservation League and Douglas Development will stage a re-enactment of the show’s 50th anniversary next month. When most of the 3,000 exclusive ticket holders hear a Beatles tribute band launch into “Roll Over Beethoven” at precisely 8:31pm, they’ll take it on faith that it’s just what the lads from Liverpool sounded like.

At one point during the historic concert in 1964, Mitchell climbed the stage behind the band at their pre-show press conference. “Even as an 18-year-old kid, I was determined to find a unique perspective,” he says. “As far as I know, I was the only one to do that. No one stopped me.” The shot he got from that angle turned out to be the jewel of the set when he put them up for auction through Christie’s in 2011, fetching $68,000 by itself. Those same shots will be on display before the concert next month.

An iconic group shot, brilliantly photographed from behind

That night “was a springboard for my sensibility” as a professional photographer, Mitchell says. “I was forced—because of the conditions and my lack of equipment—to take my cues from what the light was inviting me to do. You will see that light is the sort of nucleus of my practice as a photographer.”

Check out Mike Mitchell’s Photo Gallery from 1964 at David Anthony Fine Art. All prints available for sale.

“Exothermic Reactions” Exhibition Features David Mapes’ Photos of Miniature Pyrotechnic Tableaus

Artist’s love of science and nature combine to create miniature pyrotechnic compositions.

David Anthony Fine Art, Taos, NM, is currently featuring the photography of its owner, David Mapes, in an exhibition titled “Exothermic Reactions” from December 15, 2013 through February 28, 2014. The seven photographs—taken with film and output on archival silver rag watercolor paper with archival ink—capture the very moment, as required by the pyrotechnic subject matter. “Pyrotechnics is an amazing art form that uses chemicals to produce noise, light, smoke and sometimes floating materials. Fireworks can be designed to burn with flames or sparks of many colors, typically red, green, blue, purple, gold and silver and they have been around since 7th Century China, where they were invented, says Mapes. “Pyrotechnics is an extraordinary way to be expressive, it is a rare skill set and there is a certain level of showmanship here that I wanted to photograph,” he added.

Mapes’ many years experience as a licensed pyrotechnician inspired and informed this work greatly, especially considering the technical challenges involved and the timing necessary to achieve the desired outcome. Aside from the chemical compounds used to create the miniature pyrotechnic display, which can vary greatly and can include chemicals such as iron, titanium, and zinc (mixtures of which can burn in different colors), there is wiring and staging involved, plus setting off the reaction that is often over in a fraction of a second. “There are certain incongruences about this work and I like the combination of art and science that these photographs represent,” said Mapes, who is also a well-regarded custom furniture maker.

His experience as a pyrotechnician includes several hundred large firework shows for rock & roll bands such as The Who and Journey, ten years of indoor pyrotechnics for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Hollywood Bowl.

An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases heat and in this case creates fire that illuminates, and also becomes part of, the compositions the artist has assembled. Combining the chemical combustion with other subject matters, from a field full of sunflowers to a cast of his head, the expression in each photograph changes with each tableau.

The photographs in “Exothermic Reactions” are available for sale starting at $600.

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David Anthony Fine Art, (DAFA), located at 132 Kit Carson Road, Taos, New Mexico, was founded by long-time Taos furniture maker David Mapes in 2011. Each year, the gallery hosts the DAFA Photography Invitational showcasing photographers from throughout the world. The mission of DAFA is to exhibit the work of accomplished fine artists and exceptional crafts people in a setting that is welcoming and accessible to all.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Padilla
JLH Media
505-577-1347
jpadilla@jlhmedia.com

44th annual showing is second to be held at David Anthony Fine Art

David Anthony Fine Art, Taos presents an exhibition of John Farnsworth Kachina paintings on view from September 1, 2013 through September 30, 2013. An opening reception will be held on September 6, 2013. This exhibition is the 44th annual showing of the paintings, although the exhibitions have taken place in different locations throughout the years and includes forty, 6 in. x 6 in. or 9 in. x 12 in. works of art.

John Farnsworth was born in Williams, Arizona and grew up in Northern Arizona, in the shadow of the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. At the age of nine, he visited Taos, his mother’s birthplace and realized he would be an artist. He studied independently, and painted while working at jobs that included managing a small private museum and Indian shop, working as a trader on the Navajo Reservation, and as Preparator at the Museum of Northern Arizona, under Kachina expert and author Barton Wright.

In 1967, he began camping and traveling among the Navajo and Pueblos and at every opportunity, sketching, painting, and attending ceremonials. The Kachina dolls from which his paintings are usually derived are part of collections of the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, or the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos. Some are from private collections, including his own.

Farnsworth has been captivated by Kachina images for their intrigue, mystery, and power. He believes they are alive, primordial and sophisticated; that they speak of other worlds are are carriers of messages, prayers and bringers of rain and life; and that they are of the earth and of the sky and of the air and of the water that flows through every thing.

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David Anthony Fine Art (DAFA), located at 132 Kit Carson Road, Taos, New Mexico, was founded by long-time Taos furniture maker David Mapes in 2011. Each year, the gallery hosts the DAFA Photography Invitational showcasing photographers from throughout the world. The mission of DAFA is to exhibit the work of accomplished fine artists and exceptional crafts people in a setting that is welcoming and accessible to all.

The Beatles rarely seen photographs will be on display in Taos. In recent days, the exhibit has made the news. Check out some of the online articles:

>> Rare Beatles photos feature in new US exhibition – Liverpool ECHO
>> NM exhibit shines light on rare Beatles photos – Boston.com
>> Rare glimpse inside Beatles first show (video) – KRQE.com
>> Rare photos of the Beatles by photographer Mike Mitchell on exhibit – Oregon Live
>> Rare Beatles photographs exhibit in Taos – Taos News
>> Rare Beatles photos go on display in New Mexico – Los Angeles Times
>> Beatles’ first live U.S. show – CBS News
>> Rare photos from Beatles’ first U.S. concert get first public showing – The Province
>> Taos exhibit shines light on rare Beatles photos taken at band’s first live U.S. concert – New York Daily News
>> NM exhibit shines light on rare Beatles photos – GreenwichTime.com
>> Beatles Show – Yahoo Music
>> Mike Mitchell Beatles Photos: New Exhibit Gives Rare Glimpse Into The Band’s Early Days – Huffington Post
>> The Taos Inn and David Anthony Fine Art Announce the “Magical Mystery Taos Tour” – BroadwayWorld.com
>> Rarely seen Beatles photos from 1964 to be exhibited at David Anthony Fine Art – ArtDaily.org
>> August in Taos: Focus on Photography – TaosArtsCouncil.org

Along with the special series of photos of the Beatles, David Anthony Fine Art will also be exhibiting works of nine other wonderful photographers: Anita Andrzejewska, Beata Bieniak,William Davis, Dr. Robert Gendler, David Mapes, Seamus Mills, Brad Moore, David Smith-Soto, and Miranda Smith