Paul photographed my wife and me, as we have also bought a number of his other photographs for our home. He is strong with the natural world, and with the inherent sensual beauty of the physical body. Many of his pictures highlight the human face in most captivating and interesting ways (especially versions of the gaze).
For us this is especially true regarding the beauty and power of human coupling and the feminine.
What's extra special about Paul is the way in which he turns the image inward, outward, and sideways all at the same time. Doing so effects the objective realism of the image's experience in a way that creates an internal dynamic, or depth-sense, into which the viewer wants to jump, but without losing what is most evident on the surface. For this reason, Paul's pictures capture the complex/paradoxical nature of living reality. We have no idea how Paul does this so consistently, but it is truly something else.
Rich did the designing and setting up of the framing. He also redesigned a number of pictures we previously owned. These pictures were drab, even lifeless for a long time before Paul and Rich toured our home to see what they could do for us artistically (before we bought a thing or made any commitments to them).
Rich zeroed in on the art hiding in these pictures and saw how and why in each it could be brought forth and then integrated (i.e.., how all the pieces could be hung together to make a unified statement). The rooms in which these "new" pictures now stay have been illuminated in ways we couldn't have imagined before. Moreover, Rich's re-framing of a number of our daughter's childhood pieces transformed them into personal treasures for our family.
Thirdly, Jonathan, the third member of the team, actuates the final design of the pictures. He never let us down. For example, he trouped through and completed a tapestry-framing project which required extreme minute detailed sowing, the challenge of which we're willing to bet was the most tedious and (although necessary perhaps ridiculous?) job he's ever had. But everyone who has seen the result has immediately felt it to be a spectacular visual burst of color, texture, and balance.
Through these processes, my wife and I have come to realize Paul and Rich as genuine, gifted artists. We mean this in the sense that they are firmly but flexibly grounded in a personal, idiosyncratic vision of how they view and (re)create life, but always fully in tune with a realistic connection and communication with what is external to them.
As we indicated, Paul's photography is vivid and vibrant, sensual and internal, layered and textured. Rich's design sense is secure, balanced, and immediate, coordinated and colorful. Both artists' sense of foreground and background is superb. They also periodically put on shows of other artists whose work is as unusual as it is original and fantastic.
Both artists also clearly love what they do, and do it for more substantial reasons than commercial ones. If they aren't happy with the completed work, because you are not happy, they won't consider their job and commitment to you finished. For example, despite our initially agreeing with the final product on one of their framings, they reframed the work at no extra charge when our agreeing at first faded after we took it home and put it on the wall.
They also came to our home to do all the carpentry themselves (i.e.., the actual hanging of the pictures). As well, they consulted on the best places for where the pictures could go. This process, like all the others, were collaborative, friendly and fun. Obviously, we recommend Paul Mahder Gallery without hesitation.
Sincerely,
Jonathan, Audrey, and Natalie Dunn read more
