Pareidolia

Photographs by Sven Martson

September 5, — October 6, 2024

Hours: Noon - 5pm, every Thursday - Sunday

Opening Reception on Sunday, September 8th 2-5:00pm, open to the public.

Photographer Sven Martson experiments with the concept of Pareidolia in his photographs on view September 5 – October 6th, 2024.

In Martson’s words, 

“Pareidolia is the tendency to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one detects an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none. There's much conjecture about why people see identifiable faces, animals and shapes in random patterns, but it seems the brain is wired to notice or look for something recognizable. It's widely thought that the brain is primed to see faces (the most common form of pareidolia) and is a product of our evolution. I’ve exhibited several examples that have fascinated me recently. I hope you find them as interesting as I have found them compelling.”

Sven prefers to find images. He photographs what is significant to him in the physical world. It is his hope to discover and record meaningful moments in this life through the process and craft of photography. Sven takes photographs because it pleases him to capture and show something he has seen that had meaning for him.Sven Martson received his BA from Syracuse University. After further studies, he met Walker Evans and worked under his direction, making prints from Evans’ negatives. After Evans’ death, Martson continued to print for the Evans estate.

His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibits including National Association of Independent Schools, Washington DC, Kiek in de Kök Museum Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, The Connecticut Open Real Art Ways, Hartford CT, Artspace, New Haven CT, Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury CT, Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford CT, Shoreline Alliance for the Arts, Guilford CT, Exposure Gallery, New Haven CT, Jennifer Jane Gallery, New Haven CT and Schelfhaudt Gallery, U of Bridgeport. SvenMartson.com

Member Artists exhibiting: Robert Bienstock, Amy Browning, Frank Bruckmann, Mary Burke, William C. Butcher, Penrhyn Cook, Rod Cook,  Tom Edwards, Chris Ferguson, Brian Flinn, Sean Gallagher, Matthew Garrett, Eddie Hall, Kate Henderson, Sheldon Krevit, Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, Hank Paper,  Mark K. St. Mary, Gar Waterman, R. F. Wilton, Marjorie Wolfe.