Artist Statement
I photograph the landscape during the twilight hours and at night using long exposures to capture my surroundings and create an image different from what the eye perceives. By directing my attention to convey the quiet and solitude of the night, I believe that I am able to experience the moment with a different vision. I believe that these resulting images are from a moment suspended between night and day. I venture out in search of scenes that contain unusual light or other mysterious quality. Since the night sets the stage, I never know where I will wind up.
Bob Avakian and his wife Gail visited Martha’s Vineyard for the summer in 1973 and it has been home ever since. He is a fine art photographer whose home is on an island. His love of buildings as well as the nighttime hours has led his work to evolve as an exploration of the solitude of the night and the rural habitat. He has received numerous awards for his work, including: Photolucida Critical Mass 2013 Top 50 and awards in the Neutral Density Photography Awards and the International Photo Awards . In 2018 he participated in Rfotofolio’s “Depth of Field” show at the Center for Photographic Art. In 2013 he was awarded a solo show of his night photography at the South Shore Art center in Cohasset, Ma.
Bob’s work is in the collections of the Boston Athenaeum, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s permanent art collection, the Danforth Art Museum and other notable institutions. His photographs have been featured in Lenswork’s Seeing in Sixes, Lenscratch, Rfotofolio, Peta Pixel, and Dodho magazine among numerous others. On Martha’s Vineyard, Bob’s images can be seen at Granary Gallery in West Tisbury.
