FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2015
May 1 – July 26 2015
The fourth in a series of “Photo Lab” installations opens Friday, May 1, 2015 at the New Mexico Museum of Art. Featured will be photographs from the collection made with two historic processes. The first are cyanotypes—cyan meaning blue--are “bluish” images (think blueprints); the other are albumen prints—albumen meaning egg white—are photographs made using a combination of egg white and specific chemicals. Both of these processes were popular in the nineteenth-century and the examples on view will be by early practitioners including Francis Frith, Julia Margaret Cameron, and Arthur Wesley Dow. These processes have been revived by contemporary artists—such as Rita Dewitt, Betty Hahn, Robin Hill, Jennifer Schlesinger, Nancy Sutor, and Zoë Zimmerman–whose work is exhibited alongside these earlier masters.
Photo Lab #4 is part of the final installment of “Focus on Photography” series. The free to the public opening is on Friday, May 1, 2015 at 5.30 p.m. Photo Lab #4 runs through July 26 2015.
Background on Photo Lab
The Photo Lab provides an invitation to dig deeper into this fascinating art form that in today’s increasingly visual time is so influential in how we view our world. Visitors learn about various photographic processes; a touch-screen monitor tells the story of photography in the voices of some of its makers; books, articles, and guidebooks provide detailed information on a variety of topics; and, gallery talks and public programs provide a forum for listening and discussing ideas in person.
Photography has always been a medium of change, the shift in dominance between film photography and digital image-making at the beginning of the twenty-first century has been a challenge for many photographers.
Since anyone can take a photograph these days, what is the definition of a photograph? How is a photographic print made? How and why do artists use different kinds of photographic materials? Should a photograph speak for itself or is it important to know who made it and why? In the Photo Lab, visitors have an opportunity to ponder some of these questions and to find out what others have written about them.
Media Contacts:
Steve Cantrell, PR Manager
505-476-1144
Kate Ware, Curator of Photography
505-476-5088
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Founded in 1917 as the Art Gallery of the Museum of New Mexico, the New Mexico Museum of Art has been presenting innovative arts programming in downtown Santa Fe for close to 100 years. At its founding the museum collected and exhibited artworks by noted artists from New Mexico and elsewhere. This tradition continues today with a wide array of exhibitions and a significant collection featuring work from the world’s leading artists. Today, as at its founding, the New Mexico Museum of Art strives to bring the art of New Mexico to the world and the art of the world to New Mexico.
The New Mexico Museum of Art is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Museum exhibitions and programs are supported by donors to the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and its Director’s Leadership Fund, Exhibitions Development Fund, and Fund for Museum Education.
The Museum is located at 107 West Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico, just off the downtown Plaza. 24 Hr. Recorded Message: (505) 476-5072; Front desk: (505) 476-5041. November through April the museum is open Tuesdays - Sundays: 10 am-5 pm and open for free 5 to 8 pm on the first Friday of the month. May through October the museum is open 7 days a week 10 am-5 pm and is open for free every Friday night from 5 to 8 pm. The Museum is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Weather conditions may require the Museum to close; you can check with the Front Desk at 505-476-5041. Visit us on the web for the latest updates at www.nmartmuseum.org.
