Felix Andreoni: Gardens of Eden

Exhibit ran July 29 - November 1, 2007 in the Visitors Center

The New Canaan Nature Center is proud to present Felix Andreoni's "Gardens of Eden," opening Sunday, July 29th. A graduate of the School of Modern Photography and contributor to several major magazines and newspapers, this exhibit is sure to entice even the most experienced photographers.

Felix Andreoni was first introduced to photography at the age of six, growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut. His grandfather bought him an old Brownie black and white camera, and so began a life long passion of taking photographs. In junior high school his art teacher, who he still communicates with today, let him work in the dark room instead of sitting in art class. He was given the opportunity to learn to develop his own prints, and this he did with much gusto.

He would later attend the School of Modern Photography for two years, where he worked his craft and refined his technique. After this he worked for the Greenwich Time, the Village Gazette of Old Greenwich, and did freelance work for Better Homes and Gardens and Connecticut Homes and Gardens. One such job proved to be a very moving experience. On June 30, 1974, there was a fire at Gulliver's disco that killed 24 people, and proved to be the deadliest dance club fire in over a generation. Felix went to the site and took photographs that wound up in Life Magazine and other distinguished publications. This fire would consequently change the conversation about smoke alarms and room occupancy. He would say later how proud he was to simply show readers the importance and enormity of this tragedy.

When asked how photography has changed over his lifetime, Felix was quick to say that digital photography changed everything. Before digital, he had a dark room in his closet, where he would have to quickly develop all his work and run it over to the newspaper office. Now, he can print 46B-1200 high resolution pictures, and simply email them to the recipient. If he thought this switch was difficult, he handled it remarkably well by entirely teaching himself about Adobe Illustrator and how to use a computer efficiently. Felix thinks the change well worth it, as photographs today look better than they ever have. For this exhibit he will be using a rare paper, known as Kodak Metallic paper, to print his photographs. This paper is not yet sold in stores, and Felix is one of the first photographers to display his work this way. He promises that the paper brings photos to life unlike anything previously used.

The work shown at the New Canaan Nature Center, debuting on July 29 is showcasing plant and wildlife found here on the premises. Felix states that he is excited to be the first to display photographs of the wide variety of species all contained in the Nature Center's 40 acres. This exhibit is not to be missed, and to preview a selection of Felix's work please visit www.flicksphotos.org.

All photographs on display will be for sale and range in size and prices. They will also be double matted-framed in order to preserve color and composition. To contact the artist directly please direct all emails to flicksphotos@aol.com.

The New Canaan Nature Center is a not-for-profit environmental education center and sanctuary dedicated to helping people of all ages better understand, appreciate and care for the world of nature. The Visitors Center is open Monday - Saturday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Grounds are open dawn to dusk daily.