Hats Off to Catz-Wurtzel Photo Gallery

Joan Catz-Wurtzel, long-time member of the Sachem Public Library, shared a collection of her photographs at the library during the first week of March. Catz-Wurtzel, affectionately known around town as the "hat lady," demonstrates her passion and zest for life through the lens of her camera. She manages to take seemingly ordinary images and expose them to observers in their most natural and pure forms.

This particular collection of photographs is unique in the way in which Catz-Wurtzel captures the emotion behind the images. A photograph of two lions together exhibits not only the connection between the animals, but the connection between Catz-Wurtzel and the subject.

To capture such an intimate moment between two beings the photographer must be able to relate to her subjects. Take a photograph of two rhinoceroses standing side by side, an up close image of a butterfly or perhaps a bird perched on someone's arm. Catz-Wurtzel is able to draw on her own emotion in viewing these creatures and relay those same emotions to the observer in her photographs.

Catz-Wurtzel also shows off a more artistic side, photographing images in a macro photography style. Up close images of saltine crackers, berries and even rocks make for stimulating photographs of otherwise simple objects. She plays with shadows as well, capturing a particularly captivating image of light and shadows playing across a flight of cement stairs. Vibrant photographs of daffodils, daisies, birds of paradise and lilies have also been captured by Catz-Wurtzel create a menagerie of breathtaking photographs of nature.

There was also an abundance of scenic nature photographs in Catz-Wurtzel's exhibit; waterfalls, natural springs, clouds, desserts and palm trees all were the subjects of her photographs. A striking photograph of water lilies floating in a pond was reminiscent to Monet's painting Water Lilies. Architectural images of buildings also filled the gallery, capturing the intricate details and character of the structures.

One particular grasping photograph depicts a table piled with plates and bowls filled with different colored paint. The image is captivating in that at first glance it looks as though it were an arts and crafts table, just waiting for an artist to sit down and create a masterpiece. Upon second glance, like many of Catz-Wurtzel's photographs, there is more to the image than what initially meets the eye.

The room has wood paneled walls, as though they were built by hand, the bowls are decorated in floral patterns that perhaps were hand painted on as well. The observer may wonder if this photograph was taken in another country, and could imagine women or men sitting around this very table creating art and enjoying conversation. One can only imagine the paintings and other pieces of art that have been a product of this very room and understand why Catz-Wurtzel felt so compelled to capture this moment.

Catz-Wurtzel's exhibit gave anyone who viewed it a glimpse into her life and how she views the world. This exhibit would not have been complete had it not been for a photograph of the silhouette of a woman wearing a large brimmed hat – possibly Catz-Wurtzel herself, perhaps wearing the very hat that earned her the nickname "hat lady."