Recap Pics: Global Strays Hosts Cocktails with Fine Art Photographer Ted Barkhorn

Above: Photographer Ted Barkhorn and Elizabeth Shafiroff of Global Strays.

Celebrating a mutual commitment towards compassion for all, Global Strays (www.globalstrays.org) the international animal rescue charity co-founded by Elizabeth Shafiroff, partnered with Ted Barkhorn, contemporary fine art photographer, to launch his first New York exhibition at NOVO LOCALE (263 Bowery). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of work by Ted Barkhorn whose modern imagery reveals the natural world, will go to Global Strays for the duration of the New York show (through January 28) and through Earth Day April 22, 2019, on tedbarkhorn.com.

Among the guests celebrating the opening of Barkhorn’s first New York show, were Elizabeth Shafiroff President & co-founder of Global Strays, Ted Barkhorn, fine art photographer, Treasurer & Board member Jean Shafiroff, Martin Shafiroff, Board member Leyla Ligouri, Victor Martinez, Luis Alvarez, Ana Stone, Maria Estrany-Y-Gendre, Ken Fishel, Maria Fishel, Bradley Fishel, Lindsey Feinstein, Richard Ballard, Tony Bowles, Rosemary Ponzo, Christopher Pape, Lori Zelenko, Elena Ayot, John Lutri, Elizabeth Milstein, Sophia Bishop, Adam Weiss, Dawne Marie Grannum, Roberta Marroquin, and Dr. Steven Schuster.

The mission of Global Strays, Elizabeth Shafiroff explains is to “support and empower animal rescuers worldwide especially those with limited resources. We strongly believe compassion is a driving force able to bring about positive change. If a person learns to be compassionate towards one being, then that person will learn to be compassionate towards all. This message, we believe, is beautifully communicated in the work of Ted Barkhorn so it was only natural that we would partner with him.”

For Ted Barkhorn, the alliance with Global Strays speaks to a mutual concern for the environment, “I believe that we share a passion for nature itself, respect for the earth, mindfulness of the world around us. Animals, humans, plants, trees…all need protection and that is our shared mission.”

Ted Barkhorn is known as The Pareidolia Photographer as his work expresses a phenomenon which happens when we see a recognizable image, a dove, a face, a man, appearing in a rock, a cloud or in this case, a tree. “I am inspired by the mirroring technique of Da Vinci, the depth of Michelangelo and the unexpected colors of Van Gogh,” Barkhorn says. He reveals dimensional stories in his photographs of giant gnarled and twisted Redwood roots. Human or animal figures, sometime hidden in mosaic-like patterns, sometimes appearing in their natural form, are present in his compelling and often brilliantly-colored imagery.

Guests at the premiere exhibition of Ted Barkhorn’s Fine Art Photography enjoyed cocktails made with Wodka, the “honest vodka” from Poland (wodkawodka.com) with Q Mixers (qdrinks.com) as well as TOST the celebratory non-alcoholic sparkler (www.tostbeverages.com) Modern Images of The Natural World: Photographs by Ted Barkhorn will be on view at NOVO LOCALE – 263 Bowery, New York City. Global Strays will benefit from the sales of his work in the gallery through Earth Day 2019, April 22. Find Ted Barkhorn on Instagram @thepareidoliaphotographer and online at tedbarkhorn.com.

Photo Credit: Sylvain Gaboury/©Patrick McMullan