'Minimalist IVCC' exhibit on display through May

OGLESBY — “Minimalist IVCC,” a photographic exhibit by Dr. Michael J. Grabowski of Peru, will continue on display through May 29 in the B Building main hallway at Illinois Valley Community College.

The public exhibit directly across from Room B210 features about 25 images of IVCC exteriors and interiors. Grabowski has admired the college’s architecture since his days as a student in the late 1970s.

In his introduction to the display, Grabowski said, “The landscape of patterns, the shapes of light and shadows, the composition of the lines of a building seen from just the right angle, the richness of the colors of nature; these can bring me peace even on a stressful day. Once I began to look for it, I discovered that art is everywhere.

“This concept is the heart of my minimalist photography. Less becomes more not because less is inherently better, but through the camera I remove a moment from its busy surroundings, looking at it as composition, as color, as art. … I try not to force a conclusion but to present a reflection.”

Minimalist IVCC and an extensive gallery of Grabowski’s work can be viewed online at his website Lost Cat Studio (lostcatstudio.com). He believes students, employees and visitors will enjoy a respite while viewing the IVCC exhibit.

“Beauty and harmony can exist in the simplest things: the interplay of light and shadow, texture and patterns, shape and color. In a world cluttered by daily stresses, demands on our time and attention, deadlines, and pressure to perform, our surroundings easily fade into the background. Burdened and in need of rest, too busy to travel to see beautiful scenery or art, we can become drained.

“However, we do not always need to travel to decompress, but, for a moment, to breathe, relax, and look for the beauty that surrounds us.”