Victor Macarol exhibits riveting worksby Sally Friedman Victor Macarol, whose works are being displayed at The New Jersey State Museum as part of the New Jersey Artists Series, seizes upon images of ordinary things - dogs, decaying buildings, a street bum - appearing headless because the photographer, Mr. Macarol, has chosen to focus, instead, on the man's legs. "For Mr. Macarol humor is a serious business," said Dr. Michael A. Rockland, chairman of the American Studies Department at Rutgers University. "No accident, then, that his favorite writer is James Thurber..." Victor Macarol is unquestionably one-of-a-kind. The artist mixes ingredients in his photographic studies the way a chemist mixes elements, taking them to the stage where they cannot be separated out. "Mr. Macarol's great talent is in being able to present all of this juxtaposition unresolved," said Dr. Rockland for the brochure which accompanies the exhibit "Silver Prints by Victor Macarol." As both and artist and a musician, Mr. Macarol has traveled widely sharing the world according to Macarol. Remarkably, the viewer is left to draw his own conclusions about what the artist has captured for us with his lens. What is Mr. Macarol telling us about the boy in "Counterpoint," and why do we suspect that there is more to the stark photo than just the curve of the boy's back juxtaposed with the curve of a drain pipe? The artist sees the State as a metaphor of sorts for his chosen work. "Nothing is settled here...I am part of its uncertainty and its improbabilities," the artist said. And we might say it of his strong, sometimes riveting photographs. Mr. Macarol seems to tell us that the world is wonderful just because it is, that existence is reason enough to celebrate. "Mr. Macarol is not engaging our sympathies on behalf of a cause," said Rutgers scholar Dr. Michael Rockland. "His people in the streets are not better or worse than anyone else. They are not alienated. They just ARE." The artist has been the recipient of fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. His works have been included in individual and group exhibitions from Switzerland and France to Woodbridge (New Jersey!). And essentially, the message has been the same: This is our world. I give it to you unadorned. The photo "Dog and Cat," one of the collection on display at The New Jersey State Museum, trumpets that message as eloquently as any. A pugnacious - or is it tender - boxer is guarding - or is it bullying - a kitten. They are part of a city landscape - or are they alienated from it? The questions are at least as interesting, one suspects, as the answers! This essay on Victor Macarol's one-man exhibition at The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton appeared under a different title in The Princeton Packet, Princeton, New Jersey. Sally Friedman is a distinguished South Jersey based freelance writer and editor. ___________________________________________________________________________ "...Victor Macarol received the largest state Fellowship Award for photography since the program was begun. He has been recognized by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts as Distinguished Artist, the first time that designation has been made." (The New York Times) "...We recognize his exceptional artistic merit and are especially proud of Victor Macarol as a New Jersey artist. We acknowledge the fine contribution he has made to improve the quality of the cultural life of the State of New Jersey." (The New Jersey State Council on the Arts). ___________________________________________________________________________ "...The urban landscapes reflect Macarol's enigmatic views of fragments of architecture, signs, parks and people in New Jersey, New York and metropolitan areas on the continent. An adjunct professor at Kean College of New Jersey, Macarol exhibits frequently and internationally. He is a winner of one of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts "Distinguished Artists" grants.
Peggy Lewis ___________________________________________________________________________ "...Victor Macarol's credits include many international shows, currently at one of the most prestigious gallery [Galerie Zur Stockeregg in Zurich] in Switzerland where he was chosen to represent "American Photographers of the 20th century." He received fellowship awards from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and serves now on a panel selecting artists for such awards. Following the one-man exhibition, Macarol will be heading abroad for four international shows this year."
Bernice Paglia ___________________________________________________________________________
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