HAPENIS
- Jul 11, 2012—Aug 4, 2012
project one gallery presents
HAPENIS
Franz Szony solo exhibition
Opening Reception, July 11th at 7pm
Exhibition open from July 11 – August 4
Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 11am – 5pm
Project One Gallery presents “Hapenis”, a solo exhibition of photographs by Franz Szony. Described as a “photographic painter” or “character portraitist”, Szony transcends traditional photography in order to open windows into a lush, seductive, and intricately detailed world of fantasy and dreams where his seductive imagery fuses the classical with the modern, and depicts baroque aesthetics with a bizarre twist.
Szony’s work explores the intention and meaning behind beauty, evoking a mythical, archetypical atmosphere that has the potential to summon a meditative, imaginative, and even transcendental state of mind. Many of the photographs find their direct inspiration from Szony’s dreams, which he keeps meticulously logged in a dream diary. “The worlds and characters I’ve dreamt have inspired both minute details, as well as entire works of art, both aesthetically and emotionally. ”
Franz explains that, while most people consider themselves unconscious while sleeping, many philosophies teach that we are, in fact, more conscious while asleep than while awake… “If so, I can’t help but think our dreams to be more real and truthful than the physical world.”
Hapenis is a thought provoking, provocative, and comical collection of Szony’s most androgynous and abstract pieces and also serves as the title of the show’s statement photograph. He brings his wildly whimsical visions to life by photographing carefully composed theatrical tableaus complete with elaborate costumes and sets. The dreamlike results are richly symbolic and powerfully charged with nostalgia, with implied narratives that delve deep beyond the surface.
“…because that we are all connected, our dreams and thoughts are not solely exclusive, they are transcendental… My intent is to contribute to the universal language. Art.”
Franz Szony was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, where he began studying art at age 6 and had his first solo gallery exhibit at age 12. After studying Fashion Illustration at San Francisco’s Academy of Art, he returned to Reno in 2007, where his desire to depict his concepts more believably led him to digital photography. Szony’s Art has shown at several galleries and he has photographed advertisements for The Great Reno Balloon Race, The Nevada Opera and The Nevada Ballet, LMFAO’s Fashion for Philanthropy show, and Dada Las Vegas. Szony has also transformed a vacant building in Reno into a gallery space known as the “Mood Museum”. Franz is currently based in Reno Nevada with expectations of opening a photography studio in Los Angeles or Las Vegas within the next year.