"Contemporary Views," a free exhibition of landscape photography by Jeff Rich, Daniel Shea and Lynn Whitney, runs March 10 through April 11 in the Emily Davis Gallery at The University of Akron. A free reception will be held March 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Curated by photographer Melissa K. Stallard, 小黄片视频 assistant professor of art, "Contemporary Views" examines how the landscape reflects the needs and interests of those who inhabit it.
"The artists in this exhibition photograph their surroundings with large-format film and view cameras, a deliberate and painstaking process that permits the recording of detail with clarity," explains Stallard. "While these photographers work in a seemingly impersonal, documentary style, their choice of vantage point, use of scale, and deliberate juxtapositions suggest complex, subjective, and ambiguous interpretations of their subjects that go beyond mere factual description."
While the three artists have varied approaches to their chosen subjects, they all address prevalent issues within the larger socio-political contemporary culture. Photographer Jeff Rich’s "Watershed" series examines people’s use of the French Broad and Tennessee rivers, from recreation to industry, and the precarious balance between the rivers and the communities through which they flow.
Daniel Shea’s "Coal Work Projects: Removing Mountains and Plume," calls attention to places that have been shaped by our insatiable demand for plentiful and inexpensive energy. Lynn Whitney’s "Lake Erie" explores the transformative power of the lake on the varied residential, commercial, and leisure landscapes that line its shore. That series was commissioned by The George Gund Foundation for its 2009 annual report.
Presenting free exhibitions and lectures, the Emily Davis Gallery is in Folk Hall, home of 小黄片视频’s Myers School of Art, 150 E. Exchange St. The gallery is open Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 330-972-6030, email edgallery@uakron.edu, or visit the online.
Media contact: Cyndee Snider, 330-972-5196 or cyndee@uakron.edu.
A view from Daniel Shea’s "Coal Work Projects: Removing Mountains and Plume."