Park Row Gallery News

"Set For Life," a collection of photographs by Chatham native Owen Hope, will be on view at Park Row Gallery, 2 Park Row, March 18 through April 25. An opening reception with the artist will be held Saturday, March 28 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Hope, a 2008 Emerson College graduate, describes the work as a collection of street portraits - some candid some solicited - that show Boston's lottery subculture as a barometer for the current economic climate.

"I was reading a story about how lottery sales were going up as the economy was going down and the photographs really came from that, I wanted to see what was happening to the individual as opposed to a faceless statistic. So I went out and started talking to people, finding out why they play, how often they gamble and how often they win." What he found, he says, was a broad group of people - from the unemployed to those wearing three-piece suits - trying their luck.

The photographs themselves are striking. Shot with medium format film and often from a lower perspective, the crisp gelatin silver prints recall an earlier era of documentary image making while showing an understanding and insightful grasp of the work of contemporary masters.

But Hope's work stands apart, tactfully confident and genuine, his portraits are intimate without ulterior intention.

"I suppose I've come to the conclusion that there's a lot more than the loss of jobs that's really behind the gambling. It's a lot more psychological. In some ways it's a kind of modern extension of the American Dream - instantly going from nothing to something - and the way we seem to celebrate wealth and success."

Although Hope admits the title of his first photography exhibition is somewhat cynical, he hopes the subtle irony of the show comes through as well.

"I'm not trying to paint any kind of emotion that wasn't there. I'm trying to show the personal side of what's resulting from our economy: the person, their lottery ticket, their gamble to make it in the face of a collective loss."

For more information about "Set for Life" and Owen Hope, visit www.runhoperun.com