Drury Pool Arts Center, 900 N. Benton Avenue, The Pool Arts Center Gallery presents RANDY BACON in a show titled “Standing Together “Portraits and Stories of Domestic Abuse (a collaboration with Harmony House) The Opening Reception: Friday, October 1, 5:00-8:00pm. Randy Bacon has completed a significant body of work with Harmony House, Standing Together, that focuses on domestic abuse and will be publicly exhibited for the first time at the Pool Art Center Gallery.  The work consists of 20 framed color photos (with narratives), with each image being life-size full-length portraits.  The portraits all measure 36″ x 78″ and are designed to essentially be exhibited from the floor up….viewers will literally be “standing together” with each person, thus creating a very personal, impactful face to face experience with the portraits.  

Bacon’s artwork is uncompromising, poetic and rooted in the textures of lived experiences. His photography often spotlights aspects of society that are comfortably ignored and or inaccurately misjudged. He poignantly illuminates and humanizes complex themes including illness, death, family, homelessness, poverty, disability, addiction, suicide and countless other life challenges that people face either directly or indirectly. Through photographs, moving images and heartfelt narratives, Bacon approaches each person with an impassioned compassion, honesty and vulnerability, which results in a special, almost magical, bond between him and the subject. His work can be thought-provoking and emotional, including even being melancholic at times, yet his goal clearly is not to grow despair and hopelessness. His photography speaks the polar opposite of this. Bacon’s work is there to illustrate the beauty, strength and the power of human perseverance. That as individuals and humanity, we can be victorious over the most difficult life experiences and actually live out a full life of hope, love, joy and purpose in the midst of it. And through these shared experiences of his subjects, they become powerful beacons of light and wisdom to connect humanity. Bacon states, “Ultimately, my photographic work is there to motivate us to engage in difficult conversations and challenge us to do better for each other in these increasingly fragile and volatile times…to realize just how incredibly special and important each ‘one’ is in this world of over seven billion people.”  

 Note: Drury Pool Arts Center is an Early Bird location: its reception runs from 5-8p.m.

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