Photographer Dave Anderson

Offering a picture of a rural, isolated and poor community that seems to exist in a different time and place, Dave Andersons photographs at the Galveston Arts Center confront us with the hard edge of reality. Rough Beauty, Andersons first solo show, is a series the artist began in the summer of 2003 and completed in 2004. It is a sensitive and engaging portrait of the small town of Vidor, Texasa place many passersby prefer not to stop. But in Andersons work, the people of Vidor force contemplation. While his photographs of worn landscapes contain signs of a struggling community and heighten the impression of a secluded and sleepy town, the faces of Vidor look back at you, untrusting and confrontational, demanding a return gaze.

                                         >>>Dave Anderson