//Fairgrounds: Photography by Roy DiTosti

Fairgrounds: Photography by Roy DiTosti

6 Bridges Gallery is pleased to present “Fairgrounds”, a color photography exhibition by Roy DiTosti, May 29 – July 7, 2018. There will be an artist reception on June 16 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in conjunction with ArtsNight Maynard.

I started photographing town fairs and carnivals in the 1970’s. Initially my interest was in people photos, specifically performer portraits. The photographs from that time were done at night, using black and white film with an on camera flash. Most of the portraits had a strange quality because the performers were made up for their particular acts. In those days they had “Side Shows”. Many were exhibits of unusual characters with unique talents, like the “Rubber Man”, or “Sword Swallower”. Today the sideshows are gone.

When I started shooting with color film in the 80s my interest in subject matter expanded into areas previously unexplored. The seasonal town agricultural fairs became my primary summertime photography project. The photographs in this exhibit are digital images from the past 15 years. I’ve organized the pictures into specific categories: Games, Rides, Food Trucks, Exhibits, and People Shots.

Every summer I continue to photograph the fairs; I love those complicated colorful scenes. I go after subjects that are jammed with objects and color. Minimalism is not the desired effect here.

We’re all witnesses to the times we live in. In 1966 photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt published ”Witness to our Time”, showing famous people and historic events from his era. The “Fairgrounds” series shows my personal perspective of these local seasonal events.

The camera is a great capture tool for any witness.

2018-11-12T15:06:25-05:00 April 28th, 2018|Archive|
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