The Maude Kerns Art Center is proud to present two compelling photography exhibits, “Four Photographers in Search of Abstraction,” with work by Dan Lenore, Photax, Gary Tepfer, and Marc Thibaut, and “Sound Waves,” showcasing photographs by Todd Cooper. The exhibits open on Saturday, July 5, with a public reception on Friday, July 11, from 5 – 7 pm. Both exhibits are on view through Friday, July 25.

“Four Photographers in Search of Abstraction” features the striking images of four life-long friends who explore the subject of abstraction in photography. These artists, though sometimes expressing divergent attitudes towards abstraction, are linked by their “commitment to finding beauty through clarity of vision, recorded with a camera, and shared with minimal manipulation.” The exhibit presents a lively interaction of ideas with images that encourages the viewer to look at the photographic image in a new way.

Local artist Todd Cooper shows his music entertainment photographs in “Sound Waves,” on view in the Salon Gallery. Enamored of music performances since a teenager, Cooper has spent the last 20 years shooting musical events. He says: “I really try to keep attuned to the energy in the room, whether it be on stage or in the audience…. there are these waves that happen where it all builds, syncs, and explodes into this series of memorable moments. I feel really lucky when I can … get a frame or two of that magic.”