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Decagon Gallery
photo: Gaurav Govil
Black and White
Where light and shadow reveal what color cannot
Curator’s Introduction:
In the absence of color, photography asks more of us. Stripped of chromatic cues, black and white images slow the act of seeing and compel the viewer to look deeper—to notice form, light, texture, and gesture; to read emotion in the angle of a shoulder or the weight of a shadow. What color often explains at a glance, monochrome requires us to discover.
The photographs in Black and White span a wide emotional and visual terrain: the raw immediacy of a rodeo, the charged stillness of a lightning storm, the quiet intensity of portraiture. Though disparate in subject, these works are united by their ability to distill experience to its essence. Here, drama is carried by contrast, atmosphere by tone, and meaning by what is revealed—and withheld—within the frame.
Together, the images in this exhibition demonstrate that black and white is not a reduction, but a refinement. By removing color, these photographs sharpen our attention and invite a more deliberate, intimate engagement—one that rewards patience and reminds us that seeing is not passive, but an act of participation.
Thank you to each of the photographers who shared their work with us for the Black and White exhibition. Your images, offered with generosity and trust, remind us how powerful photography can be when vision, craft, and feeling come together.
— John Manno / director
Click on an image for more information
First Place
INTO DREAMTIME
Michael Potts
Phoenix, AZ
“Dreamtime” is meant to evoke feelings for the artist from sublime peace (that fine line where the conscious and subconscious meet) to the creative chaotic (where energy is released that fine line is broken and the potential becomes kinetic). The sequence is meant to take the viewer from the surface of the conscious into the subconscious and back again, a descent into dark, sometimes nightmare-ish, feelings and reemergence into the light, much like a spiritual journey into the valley and back to the mountaintop. With all the darkness in the world it’s important for the artist to be able to come back to the light.
Michael Potts
Phoenix, AZ
“Dreamtime” is meant to evoke feelings for the artist from sublime peace (that fine line where the conscious and subconscious meet) to the creative chaotic (where energy is released that fine line is broken and the potential becomes kinetic). The sequence is meant to take the viewer from the surface of the conscious into the subconscious and back again, a descent into dark, sometimes nightmare-ish, feelings and reemergence into the light, much like a spiritual journey into the valley and back to the mountaintop. With all the darkness in the world it’s important for the artist to be able to come back to the light.
MANY PATHS
Kent Green
Raleigh, NC
The artist has been a lifelong photographer of many subjects, but returns repeatedly to the tranquility of nature and its symbols that reflect human challenges. The artist’s work emphasizes moments where order feels fragile and time leaves a trace, with trees, water, flowers, and simple forms conveying emotions. Working with restraint and subtle ambiguity, usually in the simplicity of black and white, the artist hopes the images create quiet spaces for reflection.
Kent Green
Raleigh, NC
The artist has been a lifelong photographer of many subjects, but returns repeatedly to the tranquility of nature and its symbols that reflect human challenges. The artist’s work emphasizes moments where order feels fragile and time leaves a trace, with trees, water, flowers, and simple forms conveying emotions. Working with restraint and subtle ambiguity, usually in the simplicity of black and white, the artist hopes the images create quiet spaces for reflection.
Second Place
Third Place
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
LOSING HIS HAT
Tom Savage
Saginaw, TX
High school rodeo cowboy steer wrestling.
The artist is a retired Aerospace Engineer that loves photography. The artist has done a lot of traveling to photograph wildlife and landscapes and sports, especially rodeos. The artist likes the action.
Tom Savage
Saginaw, TX
High school rodeo cowboy steer wrestling.
The artist is a retired Aerospace Engineer that loves photography. The artist has done a lot of traveling to photograph wildlife and landscapes and sports, especially rodeos. The artist likes the action.
LIGHTHOUSE, IFNI, MOROCCO
Richard Murrin
Dartford, United Kingdom
Spectacular vista showing Sidi Ifni lighthouse positioned on a clifftop above the Atlantic. As the artist’s work tends toward a high degree of realism, it’s only the product of trying to ‘shine light on something’, producing the illusion of high-fidelity realism, which, one hopes, has the ability to positively sway the viewer’s perception, imagination & consciousness.
Richard Murrin
Dartford, United Kingdom
Spectacular vista showing Sidi Ifni lighthouse positioned on a clifftop above the Atlantic. As the artist’s work tends toward a high degree of realism, it’s only the product of trying to ‘shine light on something’, producing the illusion of high-fidelity realism, which, one hopes, has the ability to positively sway the viewer’s perception, imagination & consciousness.
GHOST MEMORIES OF CIVIL WAR
Victoria Grafton
Naches, WA
The artist is drawn to landscapes that feel unworldly, ethereal-like echoes of a dream remembered. The artist’s work explores the power of place and the expanse of space, where silence and presence intertwine. The images represent for the artist a memory and sense of beauty and wonder the artist may have experienced at one time.
Victoria Grafton
Naches, WA
The artist is drawn to landscapes that feel unworldly, ethereal-like echoes of a dream remembered. The artist’s work explores the power of place and the expanse of space, where silence and presence intertwine. The images represent for the artist a memory and sense of beauty and wonder the artist may have experienced at one time.
FAR FROM DOWNTOWN
Tom Burke
Tokyo, Japan
The artist looks to capture things usually overlooked. Ambiguity is central to the work. Imperfect equipment and inclement weather are some of the means to achieve this.
Tom Burke
Tokyo, Japan
The artist looks to capture things usually overlooked. Ambiguity is central to the work. Imperfect equipment and inclement weather are some of the means to achieve this.
PULSE OF PASSAGE
Edward Smith III
San Diego, CA
The artist is inspired by moments when human structures meet the unpredictability of nature. This bridge, half-submerged, became a metaphor for resilience, surrender, and the passage of time. Themes of isolation, transformation, and the tension between permanence and impermanence run through the series. This image asks: What do we build to cross the unknown, and what happens when the unknown rises to meet us?
Edward Smith III
San Diego, CA
The artist is inspired by moments when human structures meet the unpredictability of nature. This bridge, half-submerged, became a metaphor for resilience, surrender, and the passage of time. Themes of isolation, transformation, and the tension between permanence and impermanence run through the series. This image asks: What do we build to cross the unknown, and what happens when the unknown rises to meet us?
STEAM AND STEEL
Phillip Haynes
Toccoa, GA
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's #4501 making the run from Chattanooga, TN to Summerville, GA.
Phillip Haynes
Toccoa, GA
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's #4501 making the run from Chattanooga, TN to Summerville, GA.
POETIC
Kent Green
Raleigh, NC
The artist has been a lifelong photographer of many subjects, but returns repeatedly to the tranquility of nature and its symbols that reflect human challenges. The artist’s work emphasizes moments where order feels fragile and time leaves a trace, with trees, water, flowers, and simple forms conveying emotions. Working with restraint and subtle ambiguity, usually in the simplicity of black and white, the artist hopes the images create quiet spaces for reflection.
Kent Green
Raleigh, NC
The artist has been a lifelong photographer of many subjects, but returns repeatedly to the tranquility of nature and its symbols that reflect human challenges. The artist’s work emphasizes moments where order feels fragile and time leaves a trace, with trees, water, flowers, and simple forms conveying emotions. Working with restraint and subtle ambiguity, usually in the simplicity of black and white, the artist hopes the images create quiet spaces for reflection.
FRATERNAL TWIN SISTERS
Jelisa Peterson
Salt Lake City, UT
The artist’s desire is to challenge the viewer to be more conscious of what they see and conclude when they consume images of Africans, like Mozambicans. The artist’s images advance a more positive and sensitive vision of people who are worthy of more insightful representation.
Jelisa Peterson
Salt Lake City, UT
The artist’s desire is to challenge the viewer to be more conscious of what they see and conclude when they consume images of Africans, like Mozambicans. The artist’s images advance a more positive and sensitive vision of people who are worthy of more insightful representation.
CAT MASK
Apolonia Panagopoulos
Los Angeles, CA
A young girl wears a cat mask in Pasadena, California; shot on 35mm.
Apolonia Panagopoulos
Los Angeles, CA
A young girl wears a cat mask in Pasadena, California; shot on 35mm.
THE GAZE
Jelisa Peterson
Salt Lake City, UT
The artist’s desire is to challenge the viewer to be more conscious of what they see and conclude when they consume images of Africans, like Mozambicans. The artist’s images advance a more positive and sensitive vision of people who are worthy of more insightful representation.
Jelisa Peterson
Salt Lake City, UT
The artist’s desire is to challenge the viewer to be more conscious of what they see and conclude when they consume images of Africans, like Mozambicans. The artist’s images advance a more positive and sensitive vision of people who are worthy of more insightful representation.
BOTTLES
Robert Gideon
Los Angeles, CA
The artist finds his photographic art at the intersection of human empathy and emotion with a desire to express his understanding and appreciation of the small wonders in the world around him. For the artist, photography is more than a calling; it is an undeniable compulsion to visually scan the world around him for subtle patterns and meaning in context and shadow.
Robert Gideon
Los Angeles, CA
The artist finds his photographic art at the intersection of human empathy and emotion with a desire to express his understanding and appreciation of the small wonders in the world around him. For the artist, photography is more than a calling; it is an undeniable compulsion to visually scan the world around him for subtle patterns and meaning in context and shadow.
DEMURE
Hal Kahn
Santa Fe, NM
Often, the artist is uncertain of how the artist feels about the subject until the finished photograph is seen. The artist is old and disabled now, but hopes to continue this work as long as strength permits because it helps the artist understand the artist’s self. Photography has become both a blessing and a passion for the artist; it adds meaning to the artist’s life and helps the artist make sense of the artist’s fate. The creative process is intrinsically healing.
Hal Kahn
Santa Fe, NM
Often, the artist is uncertain of how the artist feels about the subject until the finished photograph is seen. The artist is old and disabled now, but hopes to continue this work as long as strength permits because it helps the artist understand the artist’s self. Photography has become both a blessing and a passion for the artist; it adds meaning to the artist’s life and helps the artist make sense of the artist’s fate. The creative process is intrinsically healing.
AFTERMATH, MID-GAME
Louis Bryant
Sacramento, CA
The artist sees photography as both a record and a bridge: a way to preserve moments that might otherwise fade and to connect audiences across boundaries of culture, geography, and circumstance. The artist’s portraits and documentary work seek out gestures of resilience, grace, and vulnerability, while also confronting the silences created when lives are rendered invisible.
Louis Bryant
Sacramento, CA
The artist sees photography as both a record and a bridge: a way to preserve moments that might otherwise fade and to connect audiences across boundaries of culture, geography, and circumstance. The artist’s portraits and documentary work seek out gestures of resilience, grace, and vulnerability, while also confronting the silences created when lives are rendered invisible.
THE GREAT ESCAPE
Gina K Callaghan
New York, NY
A photographer should strive to always be ready to pivot and see life’s unexpected moments. A plan can fall apart however, it is also an opportunity to look for what others might not see beyond the obvious. As a former journalist, the artist is always seeking a way to see from different points of view and bring it together in one shot that tells a story or invites someone to think of their own story. Above that is hope and joy, even in a somber subject. The joy a photo might give others.
Gina K Callaghan
New York, NY
A photographer should strive to always be ready to pivot and see life’s unexpected moments. A plan can fall apart however, it is also an opportunity to look for what others might not see beyond the obvious. As a former journalist, the artist is always seeking a way to see from different points of view and bring it together in one shot that tells a story or invites someone to think of their own story. Above that is hope and joy, even in a somber subject. The joy a photo might give others.
INNER SPACE
Jim Allen
Millbrook, NY
This is part of a series of explorations of interior surfaces of abandon architectural structures and their interactions with the environments in which they exist.
Jim Allen
Millbrook, NY
This is part of a series of explorations of interior surfaces of abandon architectural structures and their interactions with the environments in which they exist.
FATHER AND SON
David Swainson
Portland, OR
The artist is mainly a self-taught landscape photographer. Growing up in New Zealand, the artist was surrounded by the beauty and power of nature and discovered the peacefulness of solitude. With the artist’s photography the artist takes inspiration from what nature offers. Upon retiring, travel and photography became intertwined. With that came a fascination of urban landscapes, the backstreets, the markets and the beauty, vibrance and contrasts of other countries.
David Swainson
Portland, OR
The artist is mainly a self-taught landscape photographer. Growing up in New Zealand, the artist was surrounded by the beauty and power of nature and discovered the peacefulness of solitude. With the artist’s photography the artist takes inspiration from what nature offers. Upon retiring, travel and photography became intertwined. With that came a fascination of urban landscapes, the backstreets, the markets and the beauty, vibrance and contrasts of other countries.
PORTRAIT OF FLAMENCO DANCER EL TATO
Edward Olive
Madrid, Spain
The portrait focuses on El Tato's intense stare, which carries the weight and history of flamenco. This gaze contrasts sharply with the fleeting glances and superficiality often found at social gatherings, asserting the dancer's singular, powerful identity within a sea of anonymity.
Edward Olive
Madrid, Spain
The portrait focuses on El Tato's intense stare, which carries the weight and history of flamenco. This gaze contrasts sharply with the fleeting glances and superficiality often found at social gatherings, asserting the dancer's singular, powerful identity within a sea of anonymity.
THE CIGARETTE BREAK
Nicolas Desport
Lyon, France
This man works as a porter in a small market in Bangkok’s Chinatown. His name is “Daeng,” which means “Red” in Thai. When the artist suggested taking a photo, he was initially surprised, but then very flattered, even moved.
Nicolas Desport
Lyon, France
This man works as a porter in a small market in Bangkok’s Chinatown. His name is “Daeng,” which means “Red” in Thai. When the artist suggested taking a photo, he was initially surprised, but then very flattered, even moved.
POÉTICA DE LO ORDINARIO 2
Patricia Dudley
Austin, TX
The artist has been very intrigued by still life and has worked in that field extensively since 2010. In the series “Poética de lo Ordinario” (Poetry of the ordinary) the artist challenged the artist’s self to working in black and white. The artist used very few and simple objects to produce very austere but at the same time visually intriguing images. For the artist, it’s not about what is in the photographs but rather how to show those objects and how they interrelate with the light. It’s about composition and treatment of space.
Patricia Dudley
Austin, TX
The artist has been very intrigued by still life and has worked in that field extensively since 2010. In the series “Poética de lo Ordinario” (Poetry of the ordinary) the artist challenged the artist’s self to working in black and white. The artist used very few and simple objects to produce very austere but at the same time visually intriguing images. For the artist, it’s not about what is in the photographs but rather how to show those objects and how they interrelate with the light. It’s about composition and treatment of space.
POSSESS PARK I
Katherine Baker
Philadelphia, PA
Since the beginning of the artist’s photography journey, the artist has been fascinated with photography that features the human body—both fragmented body parts and faces. The artist utilizes the artist’s own body in the work to represent a universal human figure, specifically a universal woman. When the artist creates the work, the artist does not think of the artist’s self as the person in the photographs. The artist feels completely detached from the figure that is captured on camera and that is the intention.
Katherine Baker
Philadelphia, PA
Since the beginning of the artist’s photography journey, the artist has been fascinated with photography that features the human body—both fragmented body parts and faces. The artist utilizes the artist’s own body in the work to represent a universal human figure, specifically a universal woman. When the artist creates the work, the artist does not think of the artist’s self as the person in the photographs. The artist feels completely detached from the figure that is captured on camera and that is the intention.
THE FARM
Sarah Anderson
Champaign, IL
The artist’s practice focuses on documenting the devastating impacts of natural disasters—catastrophic floods, pollution, and displacement—while simultaneously illuminating the endurance and dignity of those who live through them. The artist’s images are not only records of crisis but also chronicles of survival, embodying the emotional depth of communities navigating hardship.
Sarah Anderson
Champaign, IL
The artist’s practice focuses on documenting the devastating impacts of natural disasters—catastrophic floods, pollution, and displacement—while simultaneously illuminating the endurance and dignity of those who live through them. The artist’s images are not only records of crisis but also chronicles of survival, embodying the emotional depth of communities navigating hardship.
DESERT WAVES
Edward Smith III
San Diego, CA
The desert inspires the artist with its purity and abstraction. The artist is drawn to how wind and light sculpt the land into forms that feel both ancient and ephemeral. This image speaks to themes of isolation, rhythm, and impermanence. Like the others, it asks: What remains when all distractions are stripped away?
Edward Smith III
San Diego, CA
The desert inspires the artist with its purity and abstraction. The artist is drawn to how wind and light sculpt the land into forms that feel both ancient and ephemeral. This image speaks to themes of isolation, rhythm, and impermanence. Like the others, it asks: What remains when all distractions are stripped away?
WOMAN IN A CAVE
Morgan Benard
Kuyappayalam, India
The artist is told that the artist likes to capture images of “bugs, buildings, and buena vistas”—natural and urban landscapes. Oftentimes, the artist likes to photograph old and decrepit buildings and tries to bring out the beauty in them that a street observer may ignore. The artist then likes to hear people say “Wow, look at that!” or “Oh, that old thing is really something.”
Morgan Benard
Kuyappayalam, India
The artist is told that the artist likes to capture images of “bugs, buildings, and buena vistas”—natural and urban landscapes. Oftentimes, the artist likes to photograph old and decrepit buildings and tries to bring out the beauty in them that a street observer may ignore. The artist then likes to hear people say “Wow, look at that!” or “Oh, that old thing is really something.”
PULLING ASHORE
Muhammad Amdad Hossain
Chattogram, Bangladesh
The artist’s practice focuses on documenting the devastating impacts of natural disasters—catastrophic floods, pollution, and displacement—while simultaneously illuminating the endurance and dignity of those who live through them. The artist’s images are not only records of crisis but also chronicles of survival, embodying the emotional depth of communities navigating hardship.
Muhammad Amdad Hossain
Chattogram, Bangladesh
The artist’s practice focuses on documenting the devastating impacts of natural disasters—catastrophic floods, pollution, and displacement—while simultaneously illuminating the endurance and dignity of those who live through them. The artist’s images are not only records of crisis but also chronicles of survival, embodying the emotional depth of communities navigating hardship.
SMOOKY
Charlie Frances-Besson
Paris, France
The artist roams the streets of cities and countryside observing their inhabitants, studying how they behave towards each other and how they interact with their environment. For what purpose? Not really to capture the spectacular, but rather to bear witness to a situation at a given moment in time, an ordinary moment in life or a landscape frozen in time. Photography then becomes a mental and physical experience, with slow shutter speeds sometimes saying more than a dynamic moment.
Charlie Frances-Besson
Paris, France
The artist roams the streets of cities and countryside observing their inhabitants, studying how they behave towards each other and how they interact with their environment. For what purpose? Not really to capture the spectacular, but rather to bear witness to a situation at a given moment in time, an ordinary moment in life or a landscape frozen in time. Photography then becomes a mental and physical experience, with slow shutter speeds sometimes saying more than a dynamic moment.
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