"Wet and Dry: 4x5"
2004-11-06 until 2004-11-27
Ohio Art League
Columbus, OH, USA United States of America

OAL is pleased to present Wet and Dry: 4x5, an exhibition of small format photography, to be held in conjunction with the Midwest Society for Photographic Education Conference, to be held in Columbus in November 2004. The exhibition title is a reference to the evolution from darkroom to digital processes; it is intended to dovetail with the conference theme, "From Silver to Ink: Past, Present and Future."

The artists have been asked to address the 4x5 format and theme, even though they most likely do not generally work this way. Work can be black and white or color, digital or traditional. Exhibiting artists are: Steven Elbert, Mary Fahy, Dan Grose, Nora Herting, Helen Hoffelt, Vesna Jovanovic, Frederick Marsh, Robert Metzger, Ardine Nelson, Shawn Scully, Duncan Snyder, Julia McLemore and Heather Willems.

The photographic field is changing rapidly from darkroom (wet processes) to the new (dry) ink processes. OAL’s new exhibition pays homage to the old photographic traditions and new processes which are quickly becoming the standard. The curators of this exhibition challenged eleven central Ohio photographers to address "Wet & Dry (4x5")  with his or her own vision—but in a traditional 4" x 5" size.

The format was not necessarily the way the majority of the artists normally work. They had the choice whether to shoot traditional film or shoot digitally; also whether to print traditionally in the darkroom or digitally through ink jet or laser. The work will be displayed together in the OAL gallery in close proximity, matted identically at 12" x 12" square.

Approximately fifty images resulted from this artist challenge. The images are color and black and white, traditional and digital, but are all (within some fractions of an inch) 4" x 5" and very diverse. Many stories are told.

This show features an all-star cast of local talent. McLemore is an MFA graduate of Ohio State University, where Fahy is currently enrolled, and Nelson is the Art Department Chair and longtime faculty in the Photography Department. Works by McLemore, Elbert, and Hoffelt are also on view at the Columbus College of Art and Design’s faculty exhibition. Metzger and Marsh are both recipients of GCAC and OAC Individual Artist Fellowships many times over, and several of the other memebrs of the group are award winners at the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition.

IMAGE
Ardine Nelson
pin hole photography

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Ohio

Other Important Exhibitions in Ohio