In a world of strange relationships, who’d have thought that the medical specialty of Dermatology was in any way related to the Visual Arts?
After visiting the current photography exhibit titled “Carwash Whimsey and Newport Classics” at the Newport Beach Public Library on Avocado Street, featuring both the impressionistic and realistic works of recently retired Newport Dermatologist Lawrence Sherwin, one must conclude that the relationship is real.
In fact, unbeknownst to most of the world, there exists a scientific treatise by V. Long titled “Dermatology and the Visual Arts: More Than Meets the Eye.” There are also other writings from other esoteric authors addressing the subject.
However, all their background theories and research are irrelevant. Visitors who study Dr. Sherwin’s photo art will intuitively recognize the many years of skill, eye, timing, creativity, inventive editing, and technology that went into the final products.
Sherwin, who shoots with Olympus brand camera equipment, is drawn to both the grand and the subtle moments in nature, things as easily missed as a tiny snail leaving a trail or storm-generated swells slamming into the rocks off the cliffs of Corona del Mar.
“I often photograph spontaneously with my cell phone, especially when walking my dog,” he shares. However, he explains that “I reserve more deliberate composition and technical control for my dedicated camera.” With his cell, he typically takes a single shot, whereas “with my camera, I may take multiple exposures while refining composition and settings.”
Sherwin describes his photography as a “blend of art and technology, with no meaningful divide between film and digital in terms of artistic intent. “Both are vehicles for expressing a photographer’s vision,” he apprised.
Photography is a creative balancing act between composure and composition, light and shadow, Sherwin shared, adding that “Photography is as much about enjoyment and
experimentation as it is about technical precision.” Again, the blending of artist and technical perfectionist.
From plate to film, black-and-white to color, mechanical cameras to iPhones, chemical film-developing trays to Polaroid, and then to digital images, photography — like so much in modern life — has profited from technological evolution and thus expanded photographic possibilities.
Sherwin is unapologetic when discussing photographic “purity.”
“I use Photoshop extensively to shape images to my vision, and I make no apologies for it,” he said, adding that “I view editing, color correction, sharpening, compositional adjustments and removal of distractions as an integral part of photography.”
For example, Sherwin cited digitally removing a beer can floating in a lake that would pollute an otherwise beautiful nature photo.
“Digital photography has allowed me to review and refine images instantly, which markedly transformed my workflow.” This was especially true in his practice and in medical communications with other professionals.
“What an honor to have my work shown,” Sherwin reflected. “So many fine artists in Newport never receive such exposure; I’m still processing this experience.”
In today’s visual and digital world, anyone can become a photographer. Becoming an artist/photographer, however, doesn’t just happen in a snap.
Sherwin’s art remains on display at the library through Sept. 25. The artwork is for sale for $150 per photograph, with proceeds benefiting a local art gallery. Contact Lawrence Sherwin at Lsherwin1@msn.com for details.
