There is a strong theme in Jim Freeman’s expansive fine art photography collection, currently on display at the Marco Island Historical Museum. The theme is wood and water, and its byproduct – driftwood.
“I’m very, very drawn to the driftwood,” Freeman said, “and the interaction between the wood and the water.”
What makes Freeman’s art even more compelling – if that’s possible – is the backstory about how he goes about creating it.
“The right wood is hard to find,” Freeman said, “but I do spend a lot of time in my dinghy. I like to sail down to some of the islands and then anchor and run around all day in my dinghy and scout what I think might look good in the evening or early morning. And so you kind of get a feel.”
Jim Freeman in front of one of his expansive images.
Most of Freeman’s photography is done locally, hence the name of his museum exhibit, Between the Gulf and Glades, which celebrated its opening reception on Thursday, October 5, and runs to November 4.
“Most of them are around the 10,000 Islands,” Freeman said of the setting for his photography. “There are some that I went over to the other coast, to some of the Cypress Lakes, for. Generally, I focus on the 10,000 Islands since I’m going in my sailboat.”
Freeman sails the 10,000 Islands in his 27’ Ericson, named Kathryn, getting as close to shore as he can before jumping into his dinghy.
“I’ve got a little dinghy that I drag behind the sailboat,” Freeman said. “It gets me to shore. I just run around in that thing all day and see something and then go back later. I try to imagine what it will look like in the evening light.”
All good photographers know that the early morning light and the early evening light are best for capturing compelling images. So it’s interesting that Freeman only mentions the evening light. It turns out there is a simple answer.
“Because I’m not much of a morning person,” Freeman said. “The thing about morning light is you better be there because it doesn’t last long.”
The fleeting nature of the morning light means photographers like Freeman don’t have much time to create.
“The evening light,” he said, “you can watch it and it changes. You can get shots for quite a while with different sky colors as the sky changes. Sunrises are beautiful just when that sun pops up, but it’s not long before everything’s just hot.”
Freeman has a strong affinity with driftwood and the shores it inhabits.
“The way the interaction between the wood and the water shapes the wood is so interesting,” Freeman said, “and there’s always some critters growing in the driftwood, so there’s lots of things going on.”
Tara O’Neill and J. Robert Houghtaling discuss Jim Freeman’s fine art photography.
The even-keeled Freeman lets others ooh and aah over his photographs – and they don’t need much prompting to do so.
“Jim’s work was a dream to put up,” said Rebecca Mazeroski, museum manager for Marco Island Historical Museum, who curated and led the installation of the exhibit. “I told him some exhibits take work, kind of moving things around. His photographs were just beautifully done, just so gorgeous to look at. I think the longest part was just standing there and staring at the photographs and appreciating them before you got them up on the wall. His work kind of reminds you of what the skill of photography is and what the artistry is. Most of us, particularly with our phones nowadays, can take pretty decent pictures. When you look at Jim’s work, you realize the precision, the skill, and the balance that goes into elevating a photo to Wow.”
Collier County Museums director Amanda Townsend is also impressed with Freeman’s work.
“It’s been a joy and a privilege to hang Jim’s photography,” Townsend said, “and it’s great to see the great turnout. Jim’s popular locally and it’s great to host him. One of the things that struck me as I was walking around the gallery is that it’s the rare landscape photographer who has great composition in a portrait-oriented photograph. And that’s one thing that stood out to me. And the other is that a lot of landscape photography focuses on a white beach, a green sea and a blue sky. The variation in the color fields in Jim’s work really makes it something special.”
Freeman’s exhibit is sponsored by Kira Krumm, principal interior designer of Koastal Design Group.
Marco Island Historical Society CEO Pat Rutledge makes a point to Collier County Museum director Amanda Townsend.
“We’re very grateful to Kira for being a sponsor of this particular exhibit,” said Pat Rutledge, CEO of the Marco Island Historical Society. “She also is a friend and I say a fan of Jim Freeman as well. So this was a really great opportunity to showcase her company and her support of the Marco Island Historical Society.”
The Marco Island Historical Museum is located at 180 South Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
