Sandstone Lace
Patrick Paul René
by Annabelle Numaguchi
March 2007
Walk into Moab Art Works during the month of March and you will swear that the gallery is lined with windows looking out into a mystical sandstone world bathed in the most pleasing palette of warm colors. The hall radiates thanks to the landscape photography of Patrick Paul René, a French native and Moab resident. His images capture the Colorado Plateau in the most benevolent light, figuratively and literally.
The show features eleven prints that depict pristine sandstone landscapes aglow in dramatic light. They are taken while the skies and rocks are awash in the intense colors of sunrise or sunset or around a storm system, evoking moods of solitude and tranquility. The title of this exhibit, “Sandstone Symphony,” eludes to the emotive qualities and harmony these images share, culminating in a final overture manifested in a display of all eleven images together.
René, an avid outdoorsman who literally goes to great lengths to find these untouched locations, wants to impart his adoration of nature, particularly of the Southwest, through his photography. He eloquently sums up his achievement by saying, “These photographs are an exploration of the glowing splendor of nature’s lyrical forms and their mystical reflections.”
The predominant colors in these images depict a palette of saturated shades between rose and gold with an interspersing of blue and lilac. In several images, such as “Sandstone Lace,” the concentration of sun glow on the ochre or pink sandstone lights up the photo with such intensity, imbuing it with luminosity. The lighting René captures accentuates the depth and relief of the formations, like the intricate, seemingly delicate lace-like layer of the same photo and the undulating striations of “Psychedelic Wave.”
Texture is a strong element is René’s photographs, and he explores the variety sandstone offers. In “Immaculate Butte”, the rounded curvaceous stone softens the distinctive fissure that runs down the middle, and invites the viewer’s eyes to roam towards the top. In “Leaf Window”, the vertical sheets of sandstone appear razor-sharp, and the vivid scarlet light reflecting off this rock and its shadows give this image a distinct sense of depth.
Whether stormy or serene, the landscapes René depicts in his prints invite the observer into a solitary world. They are windows into the natural grandeur of the desert and serve as a portal into a mystical world, much like a symphony transports us out of the concert hall. Even in a crowded room, these photos have the ability to impart to the careful observer a reflective mood of hope or brooding. René’s deft use of light and composition and careful choice of location create photos that transcend simple beauty.