Bending the Light

Contemporary photography encompasses a diverse range of practices, from digital imaging to the analog processes of the 19^th century. In this exhibition, we reconnect viewers with the beauty of analog photography, as seen through the lens of Bay Area artists.

A camera, whether digital or film, is essentially a sealed container that allows light to enter through a controlled opening, or aperture. The aperture spreads or defracts the light as it passes through, forming an image on light-sensitive sensors, film, or paper, depending on the type of camera being used. This basic process is the genesis of every photograph.

The arrival of the first digital camera in the mid-1970s ushered in an era of technological advances, which continue today. While these developments have made taking photographs easier, more accessible, cheaper, and instantaneous, it has changed the process of image making. However, the physical, tactile, and magical experience of savoring the photographic moment inherent in an analog or film-based practice still holds its appeal, especially for many contemporary artists.

There is not one methodology that is right or wrong when artists choose a particular medium over another. They use different tools that inherently present different results. The artists in this exhibition have chosen to work within the realm of analog photography. It allows them to realize and express their own visions. We hope that you will slow down and immerse yourself in these unique images, and find inspiration in the investment of time and care that it took to create them.

Allyson Hollingsworth and Michael Temperio, Project Curators