Zack Seckler at Robin Rice Gallery
Image above: ©Zack Seckler, Southern Coast, Iceland, Delta Ribbon / Courtesy of Robin Rice Gallery
Image above: ©Fernando Sandoval, Opening Night
In his new exhibition, featuring a selection of breathtaking aerial photographs of Icelandic landscapes shot from an ultralight aircraft, Seckler captures a beautifully abstracted natural perspective that is as staggeringly momentous as it is delicate. Picturing various natural and animal forms, from birds to seals, we get a true sense of his astonishing journey. With strong figures and forms, we also begin to feel the sheer power of Iceland's frigid tundra, though, because of Seckler's careful composition, we also understand the subtlety and magic of his experience.
Image above: ©Zack Seckler, Southern Coast, Iceland, Splash / Courtesy of Robin Rice Gallery
His choice to exhibit 30" X 40" size photographs demonstrates the same sentiment. While the viewer may become lost in the sharp pools of colors and the painterly shapes, Seckler provides just enough information to allow contextualization. With a smaller print size, we would lose this context and thus the additional meaning. Like his previous exhibition, Botswana, no glass was used in framing, thus allowing his photographs to become entirely three-dimensional.
Image above: ©Zack Seckler, Southern Coast, Iceland, Searching / Courtesy of Robin Rice Gallery
In the invitational image, Layover, Seckler demonstrates this unique contrast perfectly. The deep, rich blue tones look of another world and the delicate ripples of the water juxtapose with the abrupt shadows of the black sand beneath the water. With an incredible mystique, we begin to find ourselves exploring exactly what it is we're seeing. The five seals in the photo are what return us to reality and allow us to add a relative context. Seckler enjoys leaving a portion of the cognitive work, like this, for the viewer, which distinguishes his photos from other photographers. There is more than what is initially and obviously presented and it is up to us to assign this meaning.
Image above: ©Zack Seckler, Southern Coast, Iceland, Glacial Melt / Courtesy of Robin Rice Gallery
In addition, throughout the duration of the show, Seckler will be displaying a video of his multiple flights from his time in Iceland. With this, the viewer will be able to fully visualize the utter grandeur and splendor of the environment.
Zack Seckler was born in Boston and took to his craft after graduating from Syracuse University in 2003. He later moved to New York City and began a career in photojournalism that took him around the world covering stories for the international media. He eventually found creating the images themselves, rather than documenting them, far more fulfilling. This move translated to working with commercial clients such as Apple, Bank of America, and Starbucks. His numerous international awards include the Communication Arts Photo Annual three times, IPA 1st Place in Fine Art Collage 2015 and the PDN Photo Annual 2010. His work can be found in GQ, Marie Claire and New York Magazine, to name a few. Today he lives with his wife and two young sons in Connecticut. This is his second solo exhibition.
