Review

"Hands," Photographic Print.

Justin Bell

10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Blue Valley Library
9000 W. 151st
Overland Park, KS
913.495-3850

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday
Runs through: Aug. 3.

Art in the Stacks site: http://www.jocolibrary.org/templates/JCL_InfoPage.aspx?id=2740

If you're thinking Weren't we just here? ... you're right.

But there's a reason for recommending a trip to the Blue Valley branch of the Johnson County Library for the second time in three days.

That reason: Justin Bell's photography exhibit, which closes tomorrow.

Bell has a good eye not only for composition and light (as Hands, above, more than capably demonstrates), but also for finding compelling images in unconventional settings — say, a quiet inlet in a reservoir, dead trees rising from the water.

I have been told many times that I have a vivid imagination, not to mention an eye for special things, Bell writes. I believe that every person has their own outlook on what they see as they walk through life. I find myself lucky enough to carry a camera through it and document my own experiences, and be able to capture it and show it to everyone else. Photography is a window into my mind, and I love that everyone else can see inside. I hope everyone can take an interest in the paths I’ve walked, or at least be entertained by it. I sure am having a great time on it.

And don't let the obvious care that goes into Bell's work fool you — that "great time" doesn't come with a downside of creative stress.

Photography is just a hobby for me, even though it has taken me many places, he explains. I feel if I take photography too seriously, the fun will be dragged out like the rest of the things people stress out about. Photography is a release, a calming thing, a quiet thing, and for that I love it.

That calming feeling comes through clearly in Bell's images ... but don't get so calm that you lose track of time. After all, the show closes tomorrow.

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