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\u201cThere\u2019s life in old rusty cars,\u201d says local photographer Mark Montgomery, and he\u2019s out to help you see it in his show \u201cJunk in the Trunk.\u201d<\/p>\n
For four years, he\u2019s been working on this theme, bringing out the details in rusted vehicles and farm equipment to turn them into brilliantly colored abstract art.<\/p>\n
Once he finds a small section that stands out, he\u2019ll have the photo printed on a watercolor paper and enhance the photo with pastels.<\/p>\n
Many people see an underwater scene or an aerial landscape when they first look at his work, he said. Some of the impressions are intentional because he is looking to make images that mimic nature, and it has helped him pay attention to detail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned to focus in on the smaller things that surround us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But varied impressions are a key part of the intent of an abstract piece, and he doesn\u2019t even like to title his work so that the viewer is free to interpret it themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they see something completely different than what I see, that\u2019s good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mark got started in photography in the late \u201980s and his degree in the art from the University of California, San Diego.<\/p>\n
\u201cI picked up a camera and could never quite let it go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He began embellishing his photos with oils when he was developing his photos in a 1950s Airstream trailer that he converted into a darkroom. But the technique dates back to the 1920s and 1930s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI liked that look of an old black-and-white photograph, with a tint in of color,\u201d he said. He continued to the technique when he moved into digital photography because it had become his trademark.<\/p>\n
Some of his work from his darkroom days is on display in a New York gallery, while some of his abstract work is now on display in California and Prescott, Ariz. The McElmo Canyon resident came to the area 14 years ago and now also works for a company in Durango as a wedding and events photographer.<\/p>\n
His abstract series featuring color and texture will be shown with Barbara Girst\u2019s show \u201cFluidity,\u201d which focuses on light, water and motion starting Sept. 6.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just seem to be a good fit, to complement one another,\u201d Montgomery said.<\/p>\n
The opening reception for the show will be Sept. 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Olio, 114 West Grand Ave.<\/p>\n