“GHOSTS”: “Taos Pueblo, New Mexico,” by Joseph DeFay, left, and “Coronet” by Richard Harrington, right, are featured in their joint show, “Ghosts,” on view at the Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville September 5 through October 5. An opening reception is September 14 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Photographer Joseph DeFay and painter Richard Harrington have announced the opening of their joint show “Ghosts” on Thursday, September 5, at the Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville. The exhibit runs through Sunday, October 5. An opening reception with the artists will be held at the Gallery on Saturday, September 14, from 4 to 7 p.m.

“Ghosts” was initially proposed by Harrington after looking at DeFay’s photos of obsolete machinery.

“I was struck by how Joe captures the beauty of something that others look at as scrap metal or junk,” Harrington said. “I see the same thing in a car or truck that has been parked behind a building, or left to rust away in a field.”

The artists’ shared interest in locales and objects that bear evidence of past lives is what led them to plan their joint show.

DeFay, who lives and maintains a studio in Northeast Philadelphia, finds inspiration in the simpler aspects of everyday life, seeing them with renewed beauty and a unique new perspective. His previous experience of working for years in power plants left him with an appreciation for industrial design and function. In 1995, this experience led to DeFay’s being appointed location engineer at the Richmond Power Plant for the Terry Gilliam film 12 Monkeys.

“Working with all the talented artists involved in the filming of 12 Monkeys bolstered my desire to take interesting and meaningful photographs,” DeFay said. “And, over the years, my mind’s eye has become much more selective in what I photograph. I’ve learned what works and what does not.”

DeFay is a member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia and The Plastic Club. His work has been exhibited at Penn Medicine Rittenhouse, the Plastic Club, the Art Alliance, Perkins Center for the Arts, Bucks County Audubon Society, and the Hamilton Township Public Library.

Harrington, of Newtown, Pa., finds inspiration for his paintings in vehicles and buildings, both urban and rural, that seem abandoned. An associate professor of illustration at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, he has worked as an illustrator for more than 30 years.

“I’ve enjoyed painting and drawing vehicles since I was a child,” said Harrington. “I find them all to be interesting subject matter, but vehicles that are rusted and beat up are the most fun to paint. While I’m working on the paintings, I ask myself, ‘Who bought this car or truck when it was brand new? What were the workers like who assembled it at the factory. How did it end up here?’ When I look at these vehicles, I don’t see rust and dents. I see the evidence of the individuals who interacted with them.”

“Ghosts” represents the first time DeFay and Harrington have exhibited together at the Artists’ Gallery. DeFay joined in 2015, while Harrington has been represented by the Gallery since 2007.

The Artists’ Gallery is open every Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and by appointment. For more information, visit the www.lambertvillearts.com.