Harn Museum brings popular contemporary photographer to Gainesville

November 1, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Monsters, special effects, actors, sets. These aren’t references to a Hollywood thriller; they are the photographic techniques used by contemporary artist Charlie White. At 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 9, guests of the Harn Museum of Art will gain a rare look into the mind of the artist himself as he joins the museum for a special Museum Nights lecture and book signing.

White will discuss his photographs and the surreal world they depict, including the work “Getting Linsay Linton” currently in the Harn exhibition “Contemporary Complexities: Photography Gifts from Martin Z. Margulies.” The work is part of a notable series that includes a grotesque-looking puppet named Joshua that White uses to explore ideas of male self-image and sexual vulnerability.

Evident in all of his photographs is a juxtaposition of the strange in familiar, mundane situations. White constructs his photographs much like a Hollywood director shooting film. He tends to reject the mainstream photojournalistic approach and instead favors cinematic staging, elaborate makeup and digital effects that provide a narrative quality to his photographs. Following the lecture White will sign copies of his book “Charlie White: Photographs.”

White received his bachelor’s of fine arts from New York’s School of Visual Arts in 1995 and his master’s of fine arts from the Art Center College of Design in 1998, where he studied under such noted artists as Mike Kelley. He is also known for directing a video for American indie band Interpol’s 2004 single “Evil” and a short film titled “Pink” for Adidas. His work also has appeared in major museums and has garnered national media attention from such programs as NPR’s “All Things Considered” and the PBS EGG Series “The Arts Show.”

Please note that this program may explore ideas and images of an adult nature.

Admission to the Harn Museum of Art is free. For more information about fall programs and events, call (352) 392-9826 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.