Marjorie Pierson
Martine Chaisson Gallery
727 Camp Street
December 7, 2013–January 25, 2014

Marjorie Pierson distills the interplay of light, water, and vegetation into painterly photographs. Though several of the works in “Immersion” continue her focus on endangered wetlands, most investigate ideas of paradise through the luxurious textures and colors of the Mediterranean coastline. In the triptych Surf 15, 2013, the refraction of light through waves lapping on the shore resembles a blanket of gems, transforming the flow of water into glittering prisms. The cinematic progression of the three frames and the thinning water over sand express the pleasure of simple sensory experiences, no matter how fleeting. Thin neon zips animate the smoky browns and intense cerulean in Dusk at Kusidasi, 2013. Though the curved mass at the top and segment of blue at the bottom suggest the Turkish resort town, the hazy mingling of color makes the image feel more like a dream or memory flashing across the mind’s eye. Similarly, Redeeming Morning, 2011, captures a cacophony of textures in the reflection of light on an incoming tide and suggests the exhilarating rush of running toward the sea at dawn.