: The Photographs of Ann Ginsburgh
On view from April 6 through August 1 in the White Print Room at
the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, "Light in the Landscape:
Photographs by Ann Ginsburgh Hofkin" (Mount Holyoke Class of
1965) offers a series of dreamlike images from her travels in the
United States and Israel. Included are three-dimensional
photographs, created with multiple lenses and a lenticular
printing process, as well as black and white infrared silver
prints.
The artist will present a slide show and lecture on April 8, at 4
pm, at the museum.
"Imagination and reality operate together, and it is this union
which directs my work as an artist," said Hofkin. For several
years, she has been producing three-dimensional photographs.
Their hypnotic quality, she suggests, augments their sensuous and
organic elements and expands the possibilities of the medium. The
added depth draws in the viewer, thereby triggering a more
intimate relationship with the work. In working with these 3-D
images, the artist is particularly struck by "the sense of
reality each possesses and yet the pieces seem to emphasize the
unknown or hidden layers present in our surroundings."
Black and white infrared film is sensitive to the visible
spectrum and infrared light, which is not perceived by the human
eye. Objects reflecting significant concentrations of infrared
energy register greater density on the film's negative, thereby
causing final images to appear lighter or more ethereal. For
example, green leaves appear white instead of the shades of gray
to which viewers are accustomed. Blue skies are black. "The
resulting shift in tonality," said Hofkin, "emphasizes those
mysterious qualities I seek in my work."
Hofkin studied with Ansel Adams, Frank Gohlke and Linda Connor.
Her photographs are part of numerous collections, including the
Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Savannah College of Art and
Design.
The Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in is open
Tuesday-Friday, 11 am to 5 pm and weekends, 1 to 5 pm. For
information, www.mtholyoke. edu/go/artmuseum/ or
413-538-2245.
