Photos explore 'dignity, introspection & sanctuary' at Mount Dora Center for the Arts

MOUNT DORA — Renato "Ron" Rampolla's solo photographic exhibition, "Under One Sun," shines a brilliant light on the convergence of emotion and aesthetic.

According to a press release from the Mount Dora Center for the Arts — where 31 large prints by the Tampa-based artist will be displayed — Rampolla's show is "an exploration of our collective humanity, emphasizing the delicate equilibrium required with the natural world."

The show's themes

Three themes come into focus in the exhibition: dignity, introspection and sanctuary. Rampolla has selected landscapes and portraits that reflect, in some way, empathy, connection and introspection. The purpose, the gallery said in its press release, is to "encourage recognition and value of the harmonious interplay between humanity, nature, and self."

The "Dignity" portion of the show arose from the work that established Rampolla as a recognized professional artist. In his earlier years, he took to the streets and took portraits of unhoused individuals. His inspiration creating the stirring, intimate portraits began during his childhood — albeit, indirectly.

"My mom was a social worker, and my father was an artist," he shared. "I don't know if it's just continuing their tradition or what, but I looked at the homelessness and, initially, I was curious to know why are they homeless. So, I started talking to them, and with their permission, I would take pictures. Some would say no, and and some would just absolutely love the idea that someone would pay attention to them and take enough time to take a picture with a nice camera."

Sometimes, the magic would happen when his subjects allowed him to photograph while they were conversing, as often the case with photography.

"Their guard would be down,: Rampolla recalled, "and they'd tell me their story, and then, and I said, 'Do you mind if I take a picture here and there as we talk, and then, they'd say, 'Oh, fine.' "

There's one photo that's not in the show but appears in his book of street portraits of homeless, titled "Dignity No Matter What: The Light Within."

The subject is singing his story to Rampolla in Spanish: "He sang about his homeland of Cuba, and he's got a cigarette in each hand, and he's waving his arms. I captured him doing this in the photo that appears in the book, and in between the verses, he tells me what the words mean. You know, it's one of those moments, you can't re-create. It was emotional."

The "Introspection" shots, Rampolla says, speaks to the lack of connectivity that we have even though we're more connected in some ways by technology.

Inspirations

But it's personal too. Rampolla's father, Frank, a master figurative expressionist, died when Ron was only 11. His predecessors were Italian, from Messina, Sicily.

Ron Rampolla has sought connections with his past and others around him both personally and through his work. One of the most profound, innermost, primal lack of connection, missing a parent who's no longer living, has helped him empathize with his subjects and reflect their loneliness and longing.

Through expert manipulations, including illustration, textures and experimentation with shutter speeds and exposure, we see subjects' emotions interpreted dynamically and visually in his "Introspection" series.

Then there's the "Sanctuary" works: "I've always loved spending time in nature," the artist said. "It's is like my church or my sanctuary, you know? So, I'm still working on this collection. You could call them abstract landscapes because that's what they've been referred to before, because they're not really representational of pictures that say, for instance, 'Here's a pretty mountain.' It's, it's more of like the feeling I get when I see the mountain and my ability to capture it."

Rampolla enjoys spending time in Trout Creek in the Flatwoods parklands of Thonotosassa near the Hillsborough State Park, but he and his wife like to take road trips, too. He's able to capture both lush and desolate beauty in nature.

"If you go to my website, you'll see a whole scene on American West, he said. "We went to Wyoming and out west you'll see one that's called on the site, "Shapes of Montana." ... We were headed to Yellowstone Park but it was closed because of a snowstorm. So, we had to go around to get to Bozeman, Montana, where the airport was. We were going in and out of the snowstorm, and we were the only ones on the road. It was just beautiful. I mean, it was absolutely beautiful. "

Experience and prestige

Rampolla's achievements speak to the impression his photography has made regionally and nationwide. He was a 2019 Professional Development Artist Grant Award Recipient from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. He also was chosen the 2019 Creative Loafing Best of the Bay for Best Human Photography for a Cause.

The photographer has shown in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions across the U.S. and was selected in consecutive years (2022 and '23) at the acclaimed Soho Photo Gallery National Competition in New York.

"Rampolla's prints show his interest in abstraction and colorfield painting and his intention to demonstrate that his photographs are indeed capable of covering the same aesthetic as painting," said George S. Bolge, director emeritus of the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, and the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

"The oeuvre of Renato Rampolla," continued Bolge, "reveals his interest in fashioning an 'object' as much as an image; in gaining command over format, process, color, ground, and scale; and in creating an interactive process of art-making that transcends the previous limits of photography.”

Renato Rampolla's "Under One Sun" opens Friday, Jan. 12, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Mount Dora Arts Center, 138 E. Fifth Ave., Mount Dora. On display through Feb. 23. Details: mountdoraart.com.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Photographer Rampolla captures 'dignity, introspection & sanctuary'