The District Gallery exhibits photography by Judge Harold Wimberly, Jr.

“It was a good time” photograph by Judge Harold Wimberly, Jr. Image courtesy of The District Gallery.

Judge Harold Wimberly, Jr. is bringing a new collection of offbeat documentary photos, including shots taken during his recent travels to The District Gallery. The title photograph, “It was a good time,” depicts two rather disheveled looking dolls sitting outside in a weathered old dining chair amidst a dilapidated house, truck, and obscure rubble in the background. Wimberly did not pose the dolls; he simply documented the scene as he discovered it. To say it was the aftermath of “a good time” sums up the Judge’s sense of humor and irony revealed in many of his photographs. These dolls have a story to tell, a sort of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas kind of story…and it’s up to the viewer to decide if it really was such a good time.

Judge Wimberly's photography is printed by Thompson Photo using traditional film and wet process photo paper. The film is scanned and made into a file format, which is then printed on a world class Light Jet printer. Wimberly uses medium format film which results in incredible detail and virtually no grain on even large prints. Different types of paper are used depending upon the nature of the photo and the desired effect. Whether a landscape, urban scene, architectural or social document, his photos are taken with composition and space in mind. The formal qualities of the work are just a part of the viewing experience, as Wimberly captures anomalistic scenes that often tell a story or have a noteworthy history. His imagery often conveys a sense of surrealism through unusual subject matter coupled with shimmering effects of metallic photo paper.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 7 from 5:30-9 p.m. The show continues through March 22.

The District Gallery, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-4. For more information, please visit www.TheDistrictGallery.com.

Published March 6, 2014