Pinholio November 19, 2011

Pinholio
November 18 - December 17
Opening Reception Friday, November 18, 6-10 PM

Pinholio, curated by Alison Ouellette-Kirby and Mark A. Fisher, celebrates the art of pinhole photography. The exhibition will feature a juried selection of local and national artists as well as selections from renowned photographers Pinky Bass, Nancy Spencer, and Eric Renner. The pinhole camera is a device made often from ordinary materials (boxes, cams, and oatmeal canisters) which uses a small aperture to focus light. Operating without a lens, the aperture is quite often the size of a pinhead, thus the term "Pinhole". Typically pinhole cameras require long exposures that allow them to capture movement and distortion. Pinhole enthusiasts have traditionally used black and white photo paper or negatives to create their images, however several artists have adapted the digital medium towards similar effects.
Pinky/MM Bass is a nationally recognized photographer who has had over 40 solo exhibitions. Her work is in the collections of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Huntsville Museum of Art, and The Polaroid Corporation. Her photos have been featured in publications such as Aperture and The Pinhole Journal. Her awards include an Alabama Artist Fellowship and SAF/NEA Grant. Her large format images are made using alternative cameras and experimental processes and address issues of aging, death and the mythology of that journey.
Nancy Spencer and Eric Renner work both individually and collaboratively in pinhole photography and assemblage. They are co-directors of Pinhole Resource, a nonprofit archive and organization dedicated to sharing information about pinhole photography. They also co-edited Pinhole Journal, published three times a year from 1985-2006. The two artists give educational lectures and workshops internationally. Spencer and Renner's photographs and assemblages are exhibited in major collections throughout the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the California Museum of Photography, the National Gallery of Canada, The George Eastman House, and Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. They live in the Mimbres Valley, New Mexico.
Local artists Mark A. Fisher and Alison Ouellette-Kirby have chosen pinhole photographs from 19 local and national artists to be included in the exhibition. The selections represent a broad range of subject matters and methods. The grand prize winner of the juried competition is Matthew Harting, whose work "La Belle's Baron Steed" will occupy the billboard space above the gallery for the next few months.
Examples of Pinky Bass' work can be found at:
pinkymmbass.blogspot.com
colophon.com
Examples of Nancy Spencer and Eric Renner's work can be found at:
Nancyspencerphoto.com
Ericrennerphoto.com
Pinholeresource.com
Regular hours fridays and saturdays noon-5PM and by appointment