The Robin Rice Gallery will be showing the works of Jefferson Hayman in a show entitled “A Heart Has It's Reasons” from November 6th to December 22nd.
Hayman is a studious collector and a perfectionist who takes control of every aspect of his work. He hand makes silver gelatin prints giving his miniature photographs the look of a found antique. He labors over the frames, constructing and painting them himself, or finding antique frames that suit his needs. To Hayman's credit it is hard to distinguish between antique and the ones made recently.
The entire gallery could be seen as an instillation. Walking into the space, the eggshell blue walls and tiny paintings make the space seem like a Edwardian sitting room. Wooden factory molds festoon the walls. Hayman collects the wooden molds that were used to forge metal objects in the 19th century. All of the photography leaves something out: the portraits show the back of heads, the still-lifes show the shadow of something unknown.
It is an exhibit that entices the viewer and demands to be investigated thoroughly, but never gives a clear answer. The law of diminishing returns.
Review by John Hutt
Photographs by Ali Rajabi