Under the El at the Battery, photographed in 1932 by Berenice Abbott, is curator Jason Shaiman's favorite work in the exhibition. He loves the interplay of dark and light spaces, which create intricate patterns of negative and positive, and notes that there is a rhythm that extends from the foreground all the way through to the background of the image that binds the composition together.
Under the El at the Battery, photographed in 1932 by Berenice Abbott, is curator Jason Shaiman's favorite work in the exhibition. He loves the interplay of dark and light spaces, which create intricate patterns of negative and positive, and notes that there is a rhythm that extends from the foreground all the way through to the background of the image that binds the composition together.
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Miami photographers collaborate with curator for art museum's "Chasing Light" exhibition

Join the photographers in a panel discussion Sept. 16

Join in via WebEx for a panel discussion with curator Jason Shaiman and the Miami photographers on “The Allure of Light” at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16.

Go to the events calendar for meeting details. 

On Oct. 15, artist Steve Shapiro will give a virtual presentation on "Freedom in Black and White: The Making of a Photographer-Activist." 

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Exhibition part of FotoFocus 2020 Biennial

By Susan Meikle, university news and communications

"Chasing Light: Black and White Photography," a new exhibition at the Miami University Art Museum and part of the FotoFocus 2020 Biennial “light&,” involved a special collaboration with Miami photographers and Jason Shaiman, curator of exhibitions.

Scott Kissell, senior university photographer, Jeff Sabo, photographic services director, Ron Stevens, director of CraftSummer, and Jon Yamashiro, associate professor of art, worked with Shaiman to curate and select images from  the museum’s extensive collection of 20th century photographs.

Shaiman said that working with the four photographers was an exciting collaboration, noting that "they helped me see elements of some works from a photographer's eye, not just from the curatorial perspective."

"The banter and deep discussions of techniques, history and aesthetics between the five of us provided me a lens into how these four photographers not only take pictures, but what they look for in quality artistic images." 

“Chasing Light” features 31 black-and-white photographs and covers 100 years of photography. Artists include Ansel Adams, Berenice Abbott, Alfred Eisenstaedt and noted civil rights photographer Steve Shapiro.

Each photo “deserves a good look by the viewer to study how each photographer used the light to make the photographs,” Kissell said. “Each photograph has its own quality of light that makes them stand out.”

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"Woman and Flag, 1963" by Steve Shapiro.

Stevens describes one of photographs, “Woman and Flag, 1963” by Steve Shapiro, as one of the most powerful images of the ‘60s.

“Shapiro’s image uses harsh, intense side lighting which contributes to the intensity of the specific situation of the photograph and the social upheaval of the time," Stevens said.

He noted, “The woman is staring straight into the camera, disheveled, with evidence of a hard life expressed on her face, also intensified by the harsh lighting. Behind her is the American flag, but in an orientation contrary from what we would normally see it displayed. Whether intentional or not, the reversed flag is strongly symbolic of the social turmoil and representative of the sad truth that opportunity and justice were not experienced in the same way for all.” 

FotoFocus is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit arts organization that champions photography and lens-based art through exhibitions and public programming.

“Chasing Light” was selected by FotoFocus as part of their 2020 Biennial “light&.”

Due to the pandemic, the art museum galleries are closed to students and the public until Sept. 21.
The exhibition is available for viewing on the museum’s website, with a display of each of the 31 photographs and curator notes.