Photographer’s Work ‘Weathered to Perfection’ at Scott Barrow Gallery

By Seth Rogovoy

(LENOX, Mass.) – “Weathered to Perfection,” a new exhibition of photographs by Scott Barrow, goes on view at Scott Barrow Photography Gallery on Friday, July 28, with an opening reception from 5 to 8pm. The exhibit remains on view through August 18.

“Weathered to Perfection” reveals the efforts of time, with seasons of wind, rain, and sun on what was — once — shiny and new, made by human hands, and longed for by human hearts, transformed into the subtle beauty that only age can bestow.

Some see junkyards and a blemished landscape; Barrow sees mysterious fields of former power houses: well-used, well-loved icons of transportation, vehicles waiting patiently to have their acquired patina rediscovered. Fantastic with rust and peeling paint, metal takes on the colorful iridescence of a fine silk. Hood ornaments gleam even as their chrome plating fails. On city walls and at amusement parks and zoos that stand long beyond their popularity, fading paint reveals a visual history of heart-stopping rides, ice cream parlors and drinking Coca-Cola.  Now, weathered to perfection, they are new again.

Barrow explains how he came to be a photographer and what he tries to accomplish in his work:

“My own love of photography began as a boy when I would spend evenings with my father (an avid shooter) in his basement darkroom. The magic of a print appearing in an amber lit tray still fascinates me. During a cross country trip while in college I spent my last $ 150 on a Canon SLR and 5 rolls of Kodachrome and I have never stopped shooting. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a fine art degree I had the good fortune to be taken under the wing of a freelance photographer who showed me that making a living with a camera could be rewarding, creatively fulfilling and fun.

“During my career, hundreds of assignments for advertising, travel, editorial and corporate clients have allowed me to explore the world. Despite my reputation as an inspired location shooter I have often been asked, ‘So, where is your studio?’ My response is that my ‘studio’ is wherever I happen to be at the moment.

“In all my photography, I strive for connection to the subject that I am exploring. I take beautiful photographs for a living and I enjoy it. The bigger challenge for me as an artist is to go beyond beauty and find my connection to the scene, to become part of it in the moment that I release the shutter. It is only then that I can truly share what I saw and felt with you the viewer.”

The gallery is also showing a selection from Barrow’s “Mystical Myanmar” show and new work of the Berkshires.

Scott Barrow Photography Gallery

17 Housatonic St., Lenox, Mass

To view Scott’s Weathered to Perfection collection online click HERE.