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Michael Pressman’s ‘Fences’ Photography Exhibition Comes to Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek

In support of talented artists, Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek (CBSRZ) in Chester, announces the new showing of Michael Pressman’s Fences photography exhibition through October and is open to the public for viewing.

Pressman explains how he was inspired in his most recent photography: “As a recent settler here in the Valley/Shoreline from the New York City area, I was struck by the great beauty surrounding my new home—the marshes, rivers, and preserves. But as a nature photographer who rejects hackneyed picture-postcard images, I felt discontent with my efforts to photograph my surroundings in a meaningful way. In my restlessness, I sought inspiration in the very first photograph I fell in love with as a young man: White Fence by the great Jewish master Paul Strand (1890-1976). Strand’s 1916 photograph emphasizes a mundane white picket fence. Yet, Strand was fascinated, saying the fence was ‘very much alive, very American, very much a part of the country.’ Strand’s groundbreaking, beautifully composed image plays tricks with the depth and light and emerges as an unforgettable portrayal of Americana. Fences are as beautiful to me as the rocky shore of Hammonasset. My challenge was to combine the natural beauty of the area with the practical and evocatively metaphorical structure of fences.”

Pressman spent more than 30 years as a national broadcast journalist for both ABC News and NBC News on programs that included ABC News’s 20/20, Dateline NBC, and the Today Show. Mostly working in long form—news magazines and documentaries—as a producer, director, and writer, Pressman is the recipient of the Overseas Press Club’s Edward R. Murrow Award, an Emmy, and the Cine Golden Eagle Award. He has exhibited his photography widely in the metro New York City area.

An opening reception for Fences will take place at CBSRZ, 55 East Kings Highway, Chester, on Sunday, Aug. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.; regular viewing is Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, visit www.cbsrz.org or call the CBSRZ office at 860-526-8920. For more information on Michael Pressman, visit www.michaelpressmanphotography.com.