Rx: Take 2 Photos Between Meals
Dr. Jerry Kornfeld, 59, never dreamed that he would be taking such good medicine in taking black-and-white photographs.
“I always thought of myself as a very practical person. The creative one was my wife, Millie. Or at least that’s what I thought until I began experimenting with photography,” said Kornfeld, director of Northridge Hospital Medical Center’s Department of Family Practice for the past three years.
“He really has an eye for it. To tell you the truth, I was surprised,” said his wife, artist Millie Kornfeld, a member of Workspace Five and Women Painters West.
The couple’s joint exhibit, “Water and Light,” is continuing at the Studio Gallery in Burbank through Sept. 30. The show features Kornfeld’s black-and-white California landscapes and his wife’s watercolors, which are predominantly underwater scenes.
Kornfeld’s passion for photography began as nothing more than a diversion from the stress of a physician’s life. A Northridge resident, he took several night courses at Reseda High School from photographer Warren King, who then encouraged him to continue his studies at UCLA. In 1987, Kornfeld hooked up with John Saxton and Bruce Barnbaum, two friends of the late Ansel Adams. Kornfeld traveled throughout California with them--to Yosemite, Owens Valley, Big Sur--soaking up their knowledge and honing his style.
Then Saxton took Kornfeld to meet Adams’ widow, Virginia.
“Adams was a classical pianist, you know,” Kornfeld said. “Well, I just happened to sit down on the piano bench, and that’s when it hit me. Hard. It may sound crazy, but I felt his presence run straight through me. I knew then that I wanted to be serious about my work.”
The exhibit, Kornfeld’s first, covers his work from 1987 to 1990, and includes the photos that immediately followed his visit at Adams’ home.
“He brings out a sense of wonder and beauty,” said gallery Director Mimi Megazzini. “Like Ansel Adams, he plays with images of light and subtleties. He has tremendous control, so his photos make you stop and think.
“And this exhibit has a unique sense of contrast with Millie’s underwater dimensions and colors, added to his more stark black-and-whites.”
The difference between the couple’s two styles, like the difference between Kornfeld’s profession and his photography, is a delicate balance.
“For 25 years, I’ve worked with the phenomena of the human body,” Kornfeld said. “Now I’m experiencing phenomena of nature through the camera. It’s warmth and calm, and it’s very great power. There’s such a spirit there. It’s like medicine for me. I hope that comes across in my work.”
“Water and Light,” an exhibit by Dr. Jerry Kornfeld and Millie Kornfeld, through Sept. 30 at the Studio Gallery, 3803 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays or by appointment. Call (818) 840-8046.