Harn Museum of Art celebrates UF’s photographic legacy

February 7, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida has been an important center for creative photography since the 1960s, and especially noted for the experimental and innovative work of its faculty and students. Beginning March 11 at the Harn Museum of Art, more than 35 works by UF creative photography faculty and former students will be featured in an exhibition titled “University of Florida’s Photographic Legacy.”

In the 1960s, Jerry Uelsmann’s surreal montage images from multiple negatives made UF known as a place to explore alternative approaches to the art of photography. Todd Walker’s addition to the faculty in the 1970s brought leadership in offset photo-lithography and alternative process experimentation. Students from 1977 through the end of the century could be inspired by Evan Streetman’s stunning multi-media works that seamlessly merged painting and drawing into photographic illusions. An active dialogue between the UF photography and print-making faculty further complemented this experimental approach, as demonstrated in prints by Ken Kerslake, who often incorporated photographic images and processes into his lithographic and intaglio prints.

The exhibition also includes numerous students who have had distinguished careers as artists and faculty including William E. Parker, Robert Fichter, Bea Nettles, John Craig, Dennis Carpenter, Maggie Taylor and others.

The ongoing strength of UF’s photography program is further reflected by a selection of work by some recent and current faculty including Sergio Vega, Max Becher and Andrea Robbins. In addition, recent acquisitions and selected loans feature important artists the Harn is striving to add to the collection to represent and preserve University of Florida’s photographic legacy.

The exhibition is organized by curator of photography Tom Southall in the Harn’s permanent photography gallery, which features changing exhibitions approximately every five months.

Admission to the Harn is free. For more information, call 352-392-9826 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.