Gallery 1855 is pleased to announce the solo exhibition “Nature Mandalas” by renowned photographer Kurt Fishback. The exhibition will run throughout the month of August. A special artist reception will be held Sunday, August 14th and will include a special talk by the artist from 1-1:30 pm.

From the Indian language Sanskrit meaning Sacred circle, Mandalas are gateways to our divinity, the God within us from the human perspective and inspired by energy inherent in the Earth and Nature.

A mandala can be used during meditation as an object for focusing attention. The symmetry of the designs tends to draw the attention towards their center, towards our center.

In each Mandala natural elements have been incorporated from photographs made while walking on the Earth. Some of the elements include; trees, stones, grass, sand, water, air, clouds and sky. Light is the most important element, indicative of the energetic life force in everything.

Visages of animal and other spirits emerge in the production of the mandalas as a result of the juxtaposition of the natural elements used. They speak of our connection to the Sky Nation and to the individual medicines of Grand-father Sun, Grandmother Moon, the Thunder Beings, the Cloud People, all planets, galaxies, stars and solar systems.

These Mandalas were made as a part of my daily spiritual practice. Each mandala is available for individual interpretation and discovery of any
personal meaning specific to the individual viewer.
Kurt Edward Fishback, son of photographer Glen Fishback and name sake of photographer Edward Weston, grew up as part of the photographic community in Northern California during the 1940’s and 50’s. Mentors and friends of the family included Ansel Adams, Wynn Bullock, and Edward Weston. Despite his immersion in the world of photography, Fishback began his artistic career studying ceramic sculpture at Sacramento City College, the San Francisco Art Institute and the University of California, Davis in the 60’s. He first began to experiment with photography in 1962 as a way to document his experiences with other sculptors, but it was not until 1973, when his father invited him to teach at the Glen Fishback School of Photography, that photography became Fishback’s primary mode of expression. Since then he has gathered over 250 environmental portraits of artists in their studios or the space they chose.
Kurt continues to teach photography when he is not too busy maintaining his own artistic career. His first major, one-person exhibit was held at the San Francisco Museum of Modern art in 1982. Besides this Kurt has amassed an exhibition record of over 100 solo exhibitions and countless group exhibitions since 1961.