'Farmitecture' Photography Featured At Ocean City Arts Center

OCEAN CITY, NJ — In October, enjoy stunning barn photography by Ocean City native George Gehring - what he likes to call “farmitecture."

The show opens at the Ocean City Arts Center on Oct. 2 and runs through Oct. 28. A Meet the Artists reception will be held on Friday, Oct. 13 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Gallery is located in the Ocean City Arts Center, 1735 Simpson Avenue.

Gehring, born and raised in Ocean City, said that the beach is his heaven on Earth, which is why much of his photography features it.

When it comes to life, he likes to say: “I’ve taken the scenic route." He’s lived in many cities—New York City, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, San Francisco—studied abroad in Rome, Italy, and traveled around the globe. Looking at the world through his own lens and capturing those ‘just found’ moments is his passion.

Said Gehring:

For a number of years, I’ve had a mild curiosity with country living—that comes from a city guy who’s spent three decades in big metropolises. But over the last year or so that slight interest has blossomed: I started getting more and more excited about getting lost on the back roads of Pennsylvania, intentionally unplugging my GPS, exploring the picturesque landscapes that unfolded at nearly every turn…

What I discovered was that I have a bit of a fascination with farm life, most notably the myriad barns that dot the winding, sloping roads. I’m mesmerized by the interplay of each barn’s unique design elements: the geometrical shapes of their roof lines, their sun-faded colors, the subtle textures of the weather-worn wood, the intersection of their various planes, and so on. Those elements, juxtaposed with the negative space of the sky—a characteristic found in so much of my work—form a design of sorts, a farm-inspired architecture. Or as I’ve started referring to it: “farmitecture.”

The show runs from Oct. 2-28. The Ocean City Arts Center is located on the second floor in the Community Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Arts Center is closed on Sunday. For further information, call (609) 399-7628. Check out the Ocean City Arts Center on Facebook and Instagram.