Related Links
•History of the Quad Cities
•History of the Mississippi River
•Image of Mississippi River

 


 

Helen Boyd Photograph Exhibit
by Stephanie Banfield

The Helen Boyd Photography exhibit at the Bucktown Center for the Arts in downtown Davenport creates a mood of melancholy and darkness through the variety of black and white images displayed. Boyd’s show is both thematically complex and visually stunning as it showcases historical buildings, bridges, and train stations along the riverfront.

Beneficial to have understanding of Quad Cities
The entire show displays images of the Quad City area, with particular emphasis on Davenport and Rock Island, but viewers don’t necessarily have to be residents of these cities to appreciate the artwork on display. It is, however, beneficial to have some preconceived notions and understandings of the historical context in which the region is being displayed.

Boyd's utilization of Artistic Elements
Many of the pieces in the exhibit contain direct references to the landscape upon which they are set, whether it be land or water. However, despite these obvious references to the Mississippi River and its banks, the photographs are arguably more about a spectrum of light and darkness as well as the overall atmosphere these opposites serve to create. Boyd utilizes these artistic elements as a vehicle to explore the moods and feelings evoked by light, and the lack thereof, in an exhibit that captivates viewers with a haunting feeling of sadness and despondency created by the black and white gloom of her photographs throughout the Bucktown building. 

"Sailor's Shoals"
The photograph draws its focal point on one particular vessel and its reflection in the foreground before drawing the eye to the remaining boats that fade off into

The largest, and perhaps most intriguing image in the exhibit

the distance under a cloud of fog.  The image is visually dynamic as it shows only half of the sailboat and focuses the rest of its attention to a large expanse of water beneath the vessel and a shoreline shrouded in mist.

 

"Under the Bridge"
Although it is the smallest object in the photo, the oncoming train serves as the focal point of the piece. While the eye is immediately drawn to this object, closer analysis of the photograph

Displays the engine of a freight train rolling beneath a local bridge and out of a cloud of mist

reveals a weathered wooden fence along the side of an abandoned roadway that provides balance in the right side of the foreground with the vast expanse of river water to the left.



Exhibit runs from June 16 to August 31
The exhibit is a powerful show that explores a lifelong appreciation of the Mississippi River through the eyes of Boyd. Boyd considers her latest collection of photograph's an attempt to "enlighten locals to the Mississippi by revealing its dark side that remains tucked away from the mainstream."

***This site was edited for the web by Scott Kornblatt***