Group Show:

In the early twentieth century the science of photography not only changed many aspects of the art world but also the lives of the general population. No longer would an individual have to be in high society and hire a trained painter to have an accurate description of their physical appearance. Anyone with enough money to purchase a Kodak Brownie could make portraits of themselves and images of their surroundings. Now we are on the turn of a fresh century where photography, growing up as an art form, is now straddling the technology of digital and with that new ways of thinking about the image. Photography as an artistic expression has grown upon itself throughout the last century. The work in Retroreflection shows a juxtaposition of styles and techniques from traditional to contemporary, and some with a mix of both. However this is only a superficial difference and upon closer examination the viewer gets the sense of unity through the nature of photography itself. The simple fact is the artist must capture and present an element of reality. These artists manipulate the science of photography and tackle the concepts of our twenty-first century. Eric Weller: Born: 1941 Denver Colorado B.F.A. and M.F.A. from University of Colorado Relying on purely traditional means this landscape photography is distilled into the raw elements of art; line, value, texture, and shape carefully composed for image isolation and visual tension. These images are an attempt to recapture early fleeting memories, impressions caught in the corner of the eye while, as a child, our parents zipped us along on two lane highways. Paul Moncus: Born: 1975 Austin, Texas B.F.A. Texas State University Often revisiting a subject, the creation of negatives from medium format slides to large format negatives involves integral steps with a computer. There is contrast in every point of the process, high tech and low, light and dark, hand drawn and mechanical reproduction. The resulting photos are not a single moment of time but explore alternatives to traditional photographic representation and the isolated moment. Using cyanotype printing to minimize control, the final image is allowed more variation. William Hundley: Born: 1976, St. Paul Minnesota B.F.A. Texas State University Entoptic phenomena are visual effects whose source is within the eye itself. This work is a translation of an optical malfunction into a personified entity using “floaters” characterized by shadowy fabric covered shapes. When they are first noticed, the natural reaction is to attempt to look directly at the shapes. However, attempting to shift one's gaze toward them can be difficult since floaters follow the motion of the eye. The aim of these images is to follow a "floater" through its journey as if it were unrestricted by the singular viewer’s perspective. Created with a fluid digital process no traditional steps are used. Stacey Farrar: Born: 1975 Lubbock Texas B.F.A. Texas State University Photography shoved into the world of abstract painting. By using a combination of chemical and digital means a world of light and motion is created. The elements of our reality explored: time, motion, perspective, and light presented in a way that may make a viewer think of a painter, with brushes in hand, violently slashing at his canvas.