June 7 – July 23, 2014

Along the Rail: Andrew Morgan

Photographer Andrew Morgan has traveled along the railroad tracks between Culpeper and Remington to create a vision of what we oftentimes consider mundane. Meet the artist 1:30 to  3:30 p.m., June 7, during the 20^th Annual Heritage Railway Festival.

His digital photographs will be on display, June 7 – July 23, 2014,  at the Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory, 9419 Battle Street, Manassas, VA 20110

www.center-for-the-arts.org

Gallery Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday

You can see more of his images on his website: anm76.com

An excerpt from his show:

I drive to work every morning, sometimes having no recollection of the miles passing by.  There’s so much that goes unseen, things we would never think of while speeding by in our cars.  Sometimes I wondered as I passed over the rails what it would be like to follow them mile after mile. Would there be enough to photograph or could I come up with something different when everything started to look the same. I figured this would force me to look at things differently.  So, I started a new project called “Along the Rail.”  I’m walking railroad tracks from town to town to capture scenery most people will never see.

The sunrise on my first morning was incredible,  just as good as any national park I’d been to.  The rails glowed orange, which seemed to go on for miles.  I’d never seen anything like it. It was almost as if it was inviting me in.

Biography:

Andrew N. Morgan’s photography career began when he was appointed as the Ship’s Photographer while serving in the United States Navy aboard the USS Guardian Post enlistment, his work developed into an art and has been cultivated into what he views as an extension of himself.

Working exclusively in digital format since 2007, his work has evolved into a vehicle to shares his view of the world with others. Andrew’s photography is centered on capturing what he sees and not necessarily what is actually present. The end result is the creation of dream-like images for others to see into his mind’s eye.  Often drawn to textures, contour lines, shapes and ratios, Morgan’s final images, heavily saturated and steeped with contrast, explore combined concepts of solitude, sadness, loneliness, abandonment, peacefulness, desire, and death and are intended to evoke personal contemplation from the viewer.

Andrew’s primary subjects include landscapes, waterfalls, cascades, atmospheric conditions, seasonal changes, architecture, and foreign culture. Influenced by his study of biology along with a love for the outdoors, and fascination with what many may consider “junk,” Andrew transforms his images into works of art by casting life into them by capturing light and richly saturated colors. Recent focuses include abandoned homes, agricultural buildings and open farm lands throughout Virginia’s rural farming communities, exploring what he has termed the “Forgotten Farmer,” with the intent to conjure a sense of wistfulness for an era long gone.

A Binghamton, New York native, Andrew holds a BS in Biology from Mary Washington College and currently lives in Culpeper, Virginia. His work has shown in galleries in Manhattan, Scottsdale, Arizona and throughout Virginia.  As a member of Art a La Carte, he is able to expand his audience to the Northern Virginia area.