I photograph the landscape at night and at dawn. The camera
captures the frames as stills, freezing time, regardless of the
length of the exposure, and creating an image different from what
the eye perceives. I like to believe that these resulting images are
from a moment suspended between night and day.
The camera allows me to see my surroundings with new eyes. Out
at night, alone, the day's cares recede and the sense of time fades.
Allowing a heightened awareness to take over, I direct my
attention to conveying the quiet and solitude of the night. It is this
shift in attention, I believe, that allows me to experience the
moment with a different vision.
My exposure and printing decisions enable me to take the
surroundings I know so well and present them as they have not
been seen before. What fascinates me about this process is that
magical element of surprise. I venture out in search of scenes that
contain an unknown light source of have some other mysterious
quality. Of course there are times when I don't find anything. Since
the night sets the stage, I never know where I will wind up. It
reminds me so much of life.
Bob Avakian and his wife Gail visited Martha’s Vineyard for the summer in 1973 and it has been home ever since. As his photographic vision has evolved he has been drawn to the natural landscape and an exploration of night photography.
Recently Bob's night photography was awarded First Place in the Neutral Density Photography Awards 2014. He was selected as a Photolucida Critical Mass 2013 Top 50 photographer. In the International Photo Awards 2013 Annual competition Bob won 2nd place in the Night Photography category. In Photo Nights Boston’s “Photorama” his photography won 1st place. His work was also chosen to exhibit in the Danforth Museum’s “Photography Bienniel” and at the Cape Cod Art Association’s “All New England”, where he was awarded Best of Show.
Bob has exhibited work from his series "Between Night and Day" at the Davis Orton Gallery in Hudson NY. He was awarded a solo show of the series at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset MA and in March 2013 he was the Featured Artist on the Photographic Resource Center, Boston's website PRCNEO.
His photos have been featured in Dodho Magazine, Aline Smithson's, Lenscratch; in Wilson Cummer's New Landscape Photography blog and on the popular photo site Peta Pixel.
His work is in the collection of The Boston Athenaeum and the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s permanent art collection.
He is a juried member of the Cape Cod Art Association and the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, Ma.
Awards SOLO AND TWO PERSON SHOWS
2014 The Granary Gallery, Martha's Vineyard, MA
2014 Cape Cod Art Assoc. Selected Solo Exhibit
2013 Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY Night Photography: Stephen DiRado & Bob Avakian
2013 Photographic Resource Center, Boston, Northeast Exposure Online, March Featured Artist
2013 South Shore Art Center, Gallery Prize Award-Solo Show, June-July, William Baczek-juror
AWARDS
2015 Soho Photo "International Portfolio Competition" semi-finalist
2014 Neutral Density Photography Awards First Place: Night Photography
2014 Sante Fe Workshops “Water” Honorable Mention
2014 Cape Cod Art Assoc. "All Cape Cod" First Place Photography
2014 Still Point Art Gallery, "Landscapes by Day- Landscapes by Night" Best in Show-Portfolio.
2013 Photolucida Critical Mass Top 50
2013 Photo Nights Boston, Photorama 2013 First Place Overall
2013 Cape Cod Art Association’s “All New England” Best of Show
2013 International Photography Awards 2nd Place, Night Photography
2013 Cape Cod Art Association “All Cape Cod” 2nd place photography
2012 Photolucida Critical Mass 2012 Finalist
2012 International Photography Awards Honorable Mention, Night Photography
& Honorable Mention, Landscapes
2012 Cape Cod Art Association’s “All New England” 2nd Place Award, Photography
2012 All Island Art Show, Martha’s Vineyard, Ma. Best of Show
2012 Cape Cod Art Association’s “The Big Picture” 2nd Place Award
JURIED GROUP SHOWS
2014 Vermont Photoplace Gallery “The Built Environment” Brian Van Dan Brink
2014 Diffusion: The Matter of Light” Blue Mitchell
2014 Griffin Museum of Photography "20th Juried Exhibition" Aline Smithson
2014 Danforth Museum, "Community of Artists"
2014 New York Center for Photographic Art "Same but Different"
2014 Project Basho "Onward Compe 14"
2013 Danforth Museum, N.E. Photography Biennial 2013” Francine Weiss
JURIED GROUP SHOWS (cont.)
2013 Griffin Museum of Photography “19th Juried Exhibition” Kathy Ryan
2013 Kiernan Gallery “Portfolio Showcase 2013” Lexington, VA. Vicki Goldberg
2013 Soho Photo Gallery, NY, "National Competition", Ms. Laura Paterson, juror
2013 SchoolHouse Gallery, Provincetown, MA. "Annual Juried Show" Arlette Kayafas, juror
2013 South Shore Art Center, Photography Now, Karin Rosenthal, juror
2013 Vermont PhotoPlace Gallery, The Magic of Light, Aline Smithson, juror
2013 Cape Cod Art Association, "All Cape Cod"
2012 Cape Cod Art Association, "All New England"
2012 Griffin Museum Of Photography, "18th Juried Show" Paul Kopeikin, juror
2012 Cape Cod Art Association "The Big Picture" Paula Tognarelli, juror
2012 Greg Moon Art, Taos, NM, "After Dark" Greg Moon, juror
2012 Gallery Seven, Maynard, MA "Into the Night" Lance Kemig, juror
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2014 28 & Bank Studio “Night Photography”
2014 Photolucida Critical Mass 13 "How one thing Leads to Another"
Gordon Potts Gallery
Houston Center for Photography
2013 South Shore Art Center, Invited Member Show
2013 Griffin Museum of Photography, Atelier 17 show
2012 Griffin Museum of Photography, Atelier 15 & 16 shows
COLLECTIONS
The Boston Athenaeum
The Martha's Vineyard Hospital Permanent Art Collection.
PUBLICATIONS
2014 Gallery Kayafas “Out of the Frame”
2014 Peta Pixel "New England at Night" An Interview with Bob Avakian
2013 Vineyard Style Magazine, Spring Issue, Photography feature
2013 Lenscratch online Blog, Featured Photographer, January 15th
2013 New Landscape Photography, Wilson Cummer, featured on June 24
AFFILIATIONS
Juried Member: Cape Cod Art Association
Juried Member: South Shore Art Center
