We had moved to our home in Concord in 1975 where I was regularly struck by the tragedy of the demise of the elm tree; reading about the potential devastation of palm trees in Florida I became obsessed with them. Palm Press first came into being when I made an 8 day shooting trip to Miami in 1976, determined to photograph a place peopled with palm trees; at the time I was the founding photography department chair at MassArt and possessed by an obsession to make pictures unlike my earlier work, driven by curiosity with no specific expectation. The Miami work was transformative for me, and I decided I should publish it (a very different prospect than today). My friend Lee Friedlander had Haywire Press, I imagined Palm Press. The desire for more description led to an exploration of larger cameras, frustration with them, and the ultimate development of 6x9cm and 6x12cm handheld cameras that I designed and manufactured (something useful from a couple years at MIT in mechanical engineering).
Then, in 1977 I produced a portfolio of Harold Edgerton’s photographs that became a harbinger of the future. After leaving MassArt, I incorporated Palm Press (1980) and began the photographic atelier and portfolio publishing. It’s been a terrifically interesting obsessive journey - my employees coming from internships, my need to teach continually fulfilled... in nearly 5 decades we’ve produced more than 60 portfolios, collaborated with thousands of artists, museums, galleries and other organizations in meaningful and fruitful ways. Palm Press has been dependent upon the skills, insight and commitment of its dedicated interns and workers. These exhibits explore some of Palm Press’ history, publications, projects, and current staff work.
Gus Kayafas | Arizona Landscapes
As we develop an interest in a place or subject matter, the application of parameters helps to guide our curiosities. Just as a body of water is contained by physical barriers, our attention to detail is concentrated when we opt to confine it, either geographically or conceptually. We are always guided by curiosity, but when we funnel that into a defined subject, it transforms into deep and thorough investigation, revealing ever more about the chosen subject.
Ross Kiah often follows rivers to guide him when photographing new places, providing structure to the exploration of unfamiliar surroundings. Shown here are images made along the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts, the Quinebaug River in Eastern Connecticut, the Mohawk River in New York State, and the historic Charles River in Eastern Massachusetts.
Mae Whitmore traverses the perimeter and interior of expansive fields in Southern Vermont where they utilize property lines to guide them in their exploration of confines of fragmented land.
Kathleen Bitetti | Gardening Because Murder Is Wrong
For my second solo show at Gallery Kayafas, Gardening- Because Murder is Wrong, I have chosen to exhibit photographs, all taken on my I-Phone, of flora. The title of the exhibition is taken from a photograph included in the show which depicts my back stairs hallway that leads to my pollinator garden. Gardening, whether outdoors or indoors, is for me is a way to de-stress/de-rage and to enjoy the wonders of nature. The title of this show has become a catch phrase for many of my colleagues and close friends. We often share images of the plants we buy or plan to buy with each other. I also have found that when I share this phrase with others, particularly other women, a knowing smile and twinkle in their eyes is shared. And when the phrase is shared with those who are gardeners/are flora caregivers, they often impart a knowing laugh.
This show presents several bodies of work. There are excerpts from my 2023 Neighbors installation which also features new images that were not included in the 2023 version of the work. This piece focuses on images of pollinators in my garden and celebrates neighbors all kinds. I am also debuting two new bodies of work: Flowers for Clara and Welcome to Wonderland. Like my Neighbors installation, both of these bodies of work depict gardens of all sizes and/or flowers. Flowers for Clara highlights what other “gardeners” are growing as well as flowers that are growing on their own. This piece features a selection of flower images that I have texted as morning greetings to a beloved co-worker (I began this during the first days of the COVID pandemic and continue to do so). Much like Neighbors, this project celebrates relationships we have and grow with others. Welcome to Wonderland is also a new ongoing project that I started last summer. My garden, like Neighbors, is one of the key stars of this project. This body of work introduces the front steps of my apartment building as an additional garden that I tend to. This project is in the very beginning stages and I am hoping it will become a much larger installation work in the very near future. The figurines and objects used for this project are sourced mainly from woman-owned small businesses on Etsy.
The books that are on display for visitors to browse through are sourced from the Friends of the South Boston Public Library’s book sales and from More Than Words- a store/organization (and so much more) that is located just around the corner from the gallery. More Than Words supports the “most vulnerable youth in Greater Boston -those youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, and/or out of school. At More Than Words they earn a paying job, learning job skills while receiving focused support to ensure they persist in school and map plans for their future work, education and life.”
The cut flowers that are part of the exhibition are from the two florists I frequent: The family owned Stapleton Flowers in South Boston and Beacon Hill’s Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens which is located near my day job. The hanging wall planter’s flora is from South Boston’s MicroPlant Studio- a LGBTQ owned store and “the first Latinx owned and managed plant business in Massachusetts and in New England.”
Special thanks must be given to the following: Arlette Kayafas for all her help and support; Alina Balseiro for their help with installation & design of the card for my show; to Jackie Anderson and her team at ColorTek for printing the images for the show; to Marcella Sliney and Christine Coffee Kane, my neighbors who helped to transport my work to the gallery; and a special thank you to my Mom- who has always supported me and my dreams- no matter how outlandish they might be.