Harn exhibit shows underwater photos from springs, swamps

February 10, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla — Visitors to the Harn Museum of Art will view Florida’s springs and swamps from below the surface of the water in the new exhibition “The Mark of Water: Florida’s Springs and Swamps.”

Karen Glaser’s 38 magical landscapes photographed among some of the most unique and breathtaking ecosystems in the world will be on display Feb. 11 to July 6.

Glaser brings our attention to the beauty and fragility of these bodies of water through the use of an underwater camera. Her images are film-captured, digitally printed and non-manipulated—what we see is what she found in nature.

“The exquisite natural light that graces the springs and swamps is used solely to illuminate my pictures,” Glaser said. “In open water there is ever-present particulate matter. This layering of mud and muck, although it may appear to interfere with the water’s clarity, is in fact its lifeblood: the living, and breathing, matter seasons the soup and reflects, refracts and bends the light to create its complexity. There is no attempt by me to slick up the environments or for that matter, the pictures. These places are powerful and visceral and to show the essence of these remarkable areas, the photographs are as layered and rich as are the environments. And sometimes, therefore the pictures are unapologetically messy, messy at its most appealing.”

Visitors may learn about the photographs directly from the artist during a gallery talk in the exhibition at 3 p.m. Feb. 16. Additional programs will take place and are listed below.

This exhibition is made possible by the George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation, and the Stone Soup Fund, with additional support from the Londono Family Endowment and the John V. and Patricia M. Carlson Program Endowment. It was organized by the Southeast Museum of Photography.

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

Programs
The museum is offering a number of events for audiences of all ages.

Music Art Project
Feb. 16, 2 p.m.
“Underwater Ambiance”
Enjoy an informal performance of music in the exhibition. The Harn Composers-in-Residence will present works created in response to the art on view. Different themes will be offered on each date.

Artist Gallery Talk
Feb. 16, 3 p.m.
Photographer Karen Glaser will discuss her work in the exhibition.

Museum Nights
March 13, 6 – 9 p.m.
Visitors will enjoy art activities, performances and tours relating to the exhibition.

Family Day: Earth Day
April 19, 1 – 4 p.m.
Participants will take a family-friendly tour of the exhibition focusing on the environment and create a work of art relating to water. A donation of $5 per family or $2 per child is requested if you wish to participate in the art activity.