There is a great photography exhibit currently on at the MFAH - Houston's own Amy Blakemore. It is a 20-year retrospective, with 36 works spanning earlier black and white and more recent color works. The prints are all square, and presented simply, letting the viewer to access the work without interference.

Blakemore's work has a quality that is hard to communicate in words (at least for me...). They induce a meditative state - you feel your mind wondering about the subject, even as your eye explores the simple yet rich compositions. In some instances I almost feel as if I am entering into the picture, as I wonder about the people, animals or objects being shown. In one of my favorites (Three Girls) a child is very close to the viewer looking directly at you - what is she thinking. In another (Dog in Snow) a dog looks over its shoulder directly at you, as if it had just noticed you. There is something of frozen time in there. You feel the artist has captured a moment worth thinking about.

The MFAH's Photo Forum (the museum's photography interest group) had a treat this Monday past, when the curator of the exhibition, Alison de Lima Greene gave a lecture, and Amy Blakemore was also there. I saw Amy talk about her work a couple of years ago at the CAM, and always enjoy her comments on her work. They are very down to earth, often short and always to the point. She photographs things that interest her, that catch her eye and people that mean a lot to her. This connection comes across in the prints. She implies that many times her photographs are happy accidents, but it is also clear that she is a perfectionist.

Anyway - drop in on the show - you won't regret it.