Photographic images are designated as either scientific or artistic based on context, expectations and interpretations. However, the pieces in the “Science, Poetry, and the Photographic Image” exhibition form an intriguing combination of the practical mind, the imagination and the form of expression.
The ASU Herberger Institute School of Art Northlight Gallery exhibits a broad spectrum of photo-based work by emerging, underrepresented and internationally recognized artists, and this month features the work of members of the Women’s Caucus of the Society for Photographic Education. The subject matter of the display includes self-portraiture, the body, family, social issues, landscape, religion, and abstraction. Photography styles range from wet plate collodion to cyanotype to documentary.
Mary Ann Lynch and Dr. Deborah Willis, two of photography’s prolific artists, co-juried the exhibition from over 200 entries. Additionally, students enrolled in the Photo Exhibitions Course have assisted in every aspect of the gallery including curating, installing artwork, cataloging the collection, print preservation and gallery maintenance. The Northlight Gallery serves as a teaching laboratory for people interested in pursuing careers in photography or in the field of museums.
"Science, Poetry and the Photographic Image" allows for scientific and poetic ideologies to meet in the context of photography. Through the latest innovations and contemporary practices of photography, the gallery processes what is known, engages in that experience, and then uses a visual language to express it.
Photography's relationship with science and expression is reflected upon the history of the medium itself. Director of the Northlight Gallery Liz Allen said, “Photography has a history and association with science. When the process developed in the 1800s, photographers had to understand the formulas and mixing of chemicals to insure an image would develop.” She added that on an artistic standpoint “photography connects one human to another. The photos resonate when you recognize yourself in it.”
The reception is Sept. 13 from 6-8:30 p.m., and the exhibition continues until Oct. 8. The Northlight Gallery is located in room 101 in Matthews Hall on the southeast corner of Tyler and Forest Malls on the ASU Tempe campus.
From its inception, photography has been used to provide concrete evidence and evoke memory and feeling. “Science, Poetry and Photographic Image” shows that beauty can be a rational method for examination.
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