The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts is running a new showcase through early January called “Camera Lucida,” comprised of works created around the world using visual media technology.
Dennis Harper, curator of collections and exhibition, said the exhibition will showcase images in motion.
“The works in the exhibition can be termed ‘video art’ and ‘digital moving imagery,’” Harper said. “Some pieces are straightforward video movies."
Cameras and computer software were used to create these pieces, Harper said.
"They were shot with a camera, and document an event or tell a narrative," Harper said. "Other works consist of imagery that was created entirely through computer software, or was manipulated extensively via computer.”
The artists showcased in “Camera Lucida” also vary in their regions of origin.
“Most of the artists are American, but several come from abroad,” Harper said. “In fact, all of the artists in the show have exhibited internationally and received notable awards and honors.”
Harper said modern technologies made the works and exhibitions possible, as well as the ability to discover those works and artists.
“I tried to find a range of mainly new and emerging artists who create exciting works in various approaches," Harper said. "A nice thing about video and digital media is that it is easy to gather works from across the globe.”
Technology has played a roll in the museum's ability to access artists' work, Harper said.
“One can download electronic files rather than have to pack and ship physical objects," Harper said. "That enabled me to consider artists from far-flung locations, including some that are not very well known in the Southeast.”
The “Camera Lucida” exhibition will display work covering current, controversial topics, Harper said.
“Several artists examine or comment on environmental issues," Harper said. "LigoranoReese’s 'Anthropocene' draws attention to climate change. We witness a time-lapse video of a massive ice sculpture spelling 'The Future' as it inexorably melts and falls apart on a busy downtown Manhattan plaza.”
Harper said architecture inspired some artists featured in the exhibit.
“Rob Carter illustrates mankind’s incessant drive to build larger and more bombastic architectural structures over the landscape," Harper said. "In a different vein, Jillian Mayer looks at the very contemporary issue of crafting or discovering self-identity in the blended digital and physical environments.”
Harper said he chose to coordinate this showcase in the hopes it may provide some insight through visual media.
“Many compelling works of art during the last couple of decades were produced in video," Harper said. "This museum has not had occasion to present video art in a focused way, so I wanted to put together a small survey of artists working now in the medium to help take care of that absence…'Camera Lucida' is certainly not an exhaustive survey, but I hope it gives a taste of the type of work that is being created today.”
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