Richmond photographer explores connections between people, nature, and place in new exhibition

Richmond photographer Deborah Ness explores the connections between people, the natural world, and the human-made environment in the newest MacDowell Gallery exhibition, on display through January.

"Structures of Reality" looks at the relationships and experiences people share with the natural and human-made worlds. Through photography, Ness explores the tension between these environments and shows how details, patterns, and forms can transform familiar objects and scenes into something new.

"Through the deliberate use of line, pattern, color, and form, the work examines both the complexity and the underlying order present in nature and architecture," Ness said.

"I'm influenced by the search for the fundamental elements, such as the structure of reality, the passage of time, and the realization of our identities."

The exhibition features three photographic series, along with additional travel photographs, which explore the relationships between people, nature, and the built environment.

In the Relational series, Ness combines photographs with artwork from her family archive to create pieces that explore how shared experiences and memories shape family histories and traditions across generations.

Entangled features photographs taken at the Pumapungo Museum in Cuenca, Ecuador, exploring the relationship between natural and built environments. By combining images of nature with buildings, windows, and architectural facades, Ness creates compositions that blend the two environments. The museum grounds include archaeological stones connected to Indigenous communities, as well as buildings used for classrooms.

The Nature Confined series features portraits of plants photographed against glass barriers. The images highlight the plants' beauty and uniqueness while drawing attention to their vulnerability and the ways human environments can limit nature.

Completing the three series are photographs from Ness' travels, including Montana, Colombia, and Mexico. These images invite viewers to pause and reflect on the natural world and its relationship with the places people inhabit.

Ness began an interest in photography in childhood when her parents gave her a Kodak camera. She later learned to develop and print black-and-white and color photographs, building a foundation for her transition to digital photography and printing.

She earned a bachelor's degree in human services with a focus in administration from the Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore, Maryland. She also earned a Certificate of Art in Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Her photography has received awards including the Don and Marilyn Rogers Merit Award in the 126th Annual Exhibition by Indiana and Ohio Artists at the Richmond Art Museum and an Honorable Mention in the Whitewater Art Competition.

Ness' work has been featured in several online magazines and selected for group exhibitions in Kansas, Los Angeles, and Richmond.

The MacDowell Gallery is located on the second floor of the Reid Health Outpatient Care Center at 1100 Reid Parkway in Richmond. The gallery is named after Barry MacDowell, who served as Reid President and CEO from 1988 to 2008. Visitors can use the Grand Staircase or the outpatient elevators to reach the exhibit.