Caught in the Art: Synergy Between Artist and Art
The 92Y (www.92y.org), a community and cultural center in New York City, presents “Captured in the Art,” a solo exhibition of photographs by Deborah Sofferman.
The exhibition will be open to the public on the third floor of the 92Y.
Exhibition dates are Nov. 27-Dec. 20.
Viewing hours are Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.- 7:30 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m .-6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
There will be two opening receptions to meet Sofferman.
One is on Tuesday (Nov. 27), from noon-2 p.m. to commemorate “Giving Tuesday,” a program initiated by the 92Y in 2012.
The second reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 5.
Sofferman presents candid photographs she captured of artists who create art in the 92Y Art Center.
“I enjoy bringing viewers into the realm of being an observer in a very private moment of the artist’s creative process time,” Sofferman said.
She used her iPhone to take the photographs. “I like the immediacy. I always have the iPhone with me and am less likely to miss the shot. As a photographer and ceramic artist, I understand firsthand the process of being motivated by the desire to actualize an image from within.”
Sofferman said, “In these photos, there’s more than just the visual component you see. There’s everything around and behind it: the pull of the artists’ interest to be captured by their art, the obstacles they face in getting to the studio, their willingness to give themselves to the task. And now, for this exhibit, to share themselves …“Caught in the Art.”
Sofferman added another dimension to the exhibition: viewers can read selected quotations from various 92Y artists about their creative experiences.
This is the first photography exhibition for the Art Center lobby. Emily Coyne, Manager of the 92Y Art Center, said, “We are grateful to Deborah for capturing the creative spirit found in the 92Y Art Center’s studios. This exhibition allows us to share the joy of art-making found in all of our studios. Our student artists and designers find their voice, passion, and mastery of skill in our studios. The dialogue students create with their artwork, instructors, and fellow students greatly enrich their lives outside of the studio.”
All photographs from “Captured in the Art” will be available for sale.
Sofferman will donate the proceeds to the 92Y Art Center program. She said, “I’d like to thank the 92Y, especially the Art Center, for their support, enthusiasm, and vision. And I’m immensely grateful to shine a light on these wonderful artists who freely allowed me to witness their process.”
This exhibition continues Sofferman’s ongoing docu-series titled @PeopleLookingAt which can be viewed on Instagram and her website https://PeopleLookingAt.com
The inspiration for her “Caught in the Art” series in part can be traced back to when she posed for renowned artist Raphael Soyer. “We became friends and while he was painting me I was looking right back at him and observing his expressions. I was first inspired by that exchange which I now experience when photographing artists in the midst of creating their art. It's about synergy.”
Deborah Sofferman is the wife of Dr. Bruce Sofferman of Smile Dental Center in Shelton. For more than three decades they have donned Pilgrim costumes to collect Thanksgiving food donations for Spooner House and Valley Food Bank in Shelton. Their daughter, Sophia, has joined them each year since she was an infant. She dresses as a Native American for the annual food drive.
