Simanaitis Says
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PRIDDY FINE ART
AUTOMOBILE SPY photographers have been known for stealth, but not particularly for artistry. Brenda Priddy, however, is an exception. Her spy photo credits have appeared in prestigious magazines such as Road & Track and Car and Driver. What’s more, she is artistic. She recognizes the automobile’s beauty as well as its place in our culture.
Brenda Priddy at her Chandler, Arizona, exhibit. Image by Larry Edsall in The New York Times, February 4, 2014. See http://goo.gl/zVtzfO.
“The Fine Art Photography of Brenda Priddy” is being shown at the Chandler Center for the Arts, in Chandler, Arizona, just south of Phoenix. The exhibit will run through March 8, 2014 (see http://goo.gl/j1S5bt.) Its photographs, many resembling paintings in their texture and lighting, come from such diverse locales as junkyards, behind old barns and Cuba.
A montage of automotive art photography. Image courtesy Brenda Priddy.
Brenda recently visited that Caribbean outpost of communist faith where an amazing array of 1950s American cars have been kept on the road through ingenuity and necessity. Indeed, she plans a return visit later this year. To learn more, contact her at cuba2014.BrendaPriddy@gmail.com.
Automotive details as well as Cuban backgrounds are part of the Priddy exhibit. Image by Larry Edsall in The New York Times, February 4, 2014.
Several of the images evoke the atmosphere of a venue. Others are all but microscopic in their detail.
To most of us, photo reflections are distractions. To artists, they can be art. Image courtesy Brenda Priddy.
Based on our usual encounters, my image of Brenda is of her spiffed-up at auto shows and the like. In her usual work environment, though, she’s typically togged out in camo outfits, hiking boots and lots of sunscreen.
Automotive emblems, some familiar, others less so. Image courtesy Brenda Priddy.
One of her specialities is catching unwary auto engineers and their new car prototypes during hot-weather testing in Death Valley. I imagine auto engineering centers around the world have posted pictures of her, partly as a pinup, partly as a warning to engineers with their soon-to-be not-so-secret prototypes.
A variety of automotive art on display at the Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler, Arizona. Image courtesy Brenda Priddy.
For a look at Brenda’s side of the lens, check out http://www.brendapriddyandcompany.com. If you happen to be in the Phoenix area in the next month, you might enjoy a visit to the Chandler Center for the Arts. And if you happen to have a publishing sideline, a catalog of the exhibit would be a welcome addition to automotive art. ds
© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2014
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