Olana, Studio with Bust, 1992

gelatin silver photograph

Olana, Patio #2, 1992

What is always striking about Kallina's photographs, whether in Rome, Paris, or Upstate NY, is the stillness created by the lack of any human presence. At the same time, the meticulously groomed gardens and lavish interiors- however empty- indicate that these spaces are not as abandoned as they appear. The works in this way evoke a mysterious, wistful presence, and a desire to collapse the distance between past and present by physically tending to history. "Olana" the Hudson Valley home of painter Fredric Church, is captured and conveyed in an a way that increases the sense of intimate involvement .

Olana, Tea Set on Table, 1992

Jean Kallina is a widely exhibited and collected artist. Her work is in the permanent collections of The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Brooklyn Museum among others. She has held solo exhibitions at the Leo Castelli Gallery and the Pace Macgill Gallery. She is represented by Winston Wachter Fine Art in New York City.