With his work over the past 40 years, Stephen Wilkes has established himself as one of our most iconic photographers, his pieces displayed throughout the United States and around the world.
Now, he is coming to The Westport Library.
Wilkes, who lives and maintains a studio in Westport, will unveil his new exhibit, “Stephen Wilkes: Visualizing Time,” at The Library with a special event held Thursday, September 8, in conversation with fine art and editorial photographer Stacy Bass, a fellow Westporter and former president of the Library’s board of trustees. The event arrives on the eve of StoryFest, leading into Connecticut’s largest literary festival with a celebration of art and the indelible artist who created it.
“Stephen is a Westport treasure, an artist of great renown and incomparable talent,” said Bill Harmer, executive director of The Westport Library. “We are honored to host him and Stacy for an event celebrating his life and work and to have his exhibit displayed in our galleries. And for this to debut right before StoryFest is most fitting — reaffirming our commitment to celebrating community and the arts in all their forms.”
This exhibit, which will be featured in all three of the Library’s galleries, explores how Wilkes’ visualization of the concept of time has evolved from the earlier days of his career through his latest, celebrated series, “Day to Night” and “Tapestries.”
The September 8 program will be preceded by a reception with the photographer at 6:15 pm, followed by a Q&A in the Trefz Forum. The exhibit will run in the Library from September 8 through November 29.
“Visualizing Time is a personal journey through my five decades as a photographer,” Wilkes said. “There is a single thread that connects all of my work throughout these periods, a fascination with depicting time and memory in all its forms. From my early work documenting Ellis Island, capturing the spirit and energy in its abandoned ruins, to ‘Day to Night,’ where I seamlessly compress the best moments of a single day into one photograph, and ‘Tapestries,’ where I explore fractions of time, capturing the way we perceive a specific place.
“Each of these bodies of work tell personal stories, witness history, and capture the emotion I feel in what I am bearing witness to.”
For more on Wilkes and his career, please visit stephenwilkes.com. For more on Bass and her work shooting architecture, interiors, landscapes, and gardens, visit stacybassphotography.com.
And for more on art at The Westport Library, please visit our gallery webpage.
