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Images by Wright Schickli and Allyson Ely Selected by A Smith Gallery

Ellen Gilkerson | Published on 11/18/2025

Images by Wright Schickli and Allyson Ely were selected for inclusion in the portal exhibition at the A Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas. Portal: doorway, entrance, opening, entry, gate, egress, opening, aperture, porte, exit, hatch, mirror, passage, threshold, cut, entrada, hole, scuttle, window, approach, camera, breach, mirror, physical, metaphysical… or maybe it’s just a door. A Smith welcomed all images reflecting the theme portal. Ann Jastrab, Executive Director at the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, was the juror. The exhibition runs from November 21 through January 1. The reception will take place at 3 pm CDT on November 29, and will be posted as a YouTube video in Gallery Conversations. Check out this multitudinous array of interpretations on the theme of portals, including a few actual doors, at https://asmithgallery.com/exhibitions/portal-5/.

Wright says:

Recoleta is a venerable cemetery in Buenos Aires (BA) that is just really scary in many places, yet grandiose in others. It’s effectively a mini-city within Buenos Aires itself. I never thought I would spend most of my time in BA in a spooky graveyard, but I felt really safe there and it to me is a special place. I was able to hide my reflection when taking this photograph by standing across from the open doors of the mausoleum that were not reflective, which helped create a Portal-like effect.

Wright Schickli: Recoleta #1

Allyson says:

Both images are from my long-term project, A Place Out of Time, and were photographed inside of a working cement storage and distribution silo.

Slide: I was attracted to the graceful lines of the pneumatic slide in the foreground and the way in which it’s mirrored in the space behind. I enjoy the repetition of line and form, the way in which the eye travels back through these spaces, and the juxtaposition of the smooth pipes and cement walls with the grating platform above.

I was drawn to the mystery in A Place Out of Time – a hidden world filled with ambiguity. This image has many of the same elements as Slide, and captures the feeling of solitude and isolation ever-present in this facility.

Allyson Ely: Slide

Allyson Ely: A Place Out of Time

Wright’s Recoleta #1 And Allyson’s A Place Out of Time were selected for inclusion in “the 27”, a limited-edition hardbound fine art book of twenty-seven images from the exhibition.

A Smith Gallery was established in 2010 by Amanda Smith. Its mission is to promote the photographic arts through exhibitions, workshops, and facilitation of an active vibrant community of photographers.

Details:

A Smith Gallery:

https://asmithgallery.com/

P.O. Box 175

Johnson City, TX 78636

amanda@asmithgallery.com

portal exhibition:

https://asmithgallery.com/exhibitions/portal-5/

November 21 – January 1

Reception: November 29 at 3 pm CDT – check ASG Conversations and Gallery Talk (blog) for details.

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