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Media Contact:
Annie Hughes
Communications Associate
312.915.6324
ahughes1@luc.edu

CHICAGO, May 15, 2008 – On Saturday, May 17, the Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) will present the photographic landscapes of Illinois-based artist Gary Kolb in the  Harlan J. Berk Ltd. Works on Paper Gallery. Landscapes by Photographer Gary Kolb, an exhibition of gelatin prints that explores the natural and sacred beauty of the untamed American landscape, will be on display through August 10, 2008, and will serve as a companion exhibition to Manifest Destiny/Manifest Responsibility: Environmentalism and the Art of the American Landscape.

Landscapes investigates the geological, biological, historical, and cultural stories told through images of American landscapes. The exhibition combines two bodies of work produced during the same period by Kolb—one of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, and the other, an exploration of the Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior.

Through black and white prints, Kolb displays an eloquence that is captured with an up-close perspective and magnified detail. Looking at the land in a holistic manner—acknowledging its physical beauty and its place in the cultural stories of its many and varied inhabitants—Kolb uses his photographs to underscore the importance of cherishing and preserving America’s wilderness.

“Kolb’s impressive work reflects upon environmental issues, and his pictures capture the visual grandeur of nature,” says Mary Arhondonis, the exhibition’s curator. “Through their close attention to tone and organic forms, Kolb’s photographs not only document these two sites, but they also honor them.”

Kolb’s body of work is increasingly relevant today because the future of much unspoiled American land remains undecided. “This is an intimate chronicling of the landscape, and exploring its significance is my passion and my privilege,” says Kolb.

What is a gelatin print?

A gelatin print, commonly referred to as a black-and white-photograph, is generated from a film negative. The silver gelatin print was developed in the 1880s and, given its resistance to yellowing and ease of production, grew to be more popular than albumen prints that lacked these qualities.  Gelatin is used as an emulsion, to adhere light- sensitive silver salts (usually silver bromides or silver chlorides) to paper. The process involves exposing light-sensitive paper to a negative, either with an enlarger or by contact printing, and then submerging it in chemicals to produce an image.

Public Program:

Artist Talk with Gary Kolb
Tuesday, June 17, 6 p.m.
Simpson Lecture Hall, LUMA

Join LUMA as they welcome photographer Gary Kolb for a discussion of the exhibition, Landscapes by Photographer Gary Kolb. The event is free for LUMA members and $5 for non-members.

Landscapes by Photographer Gary Kolb is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

About LUMA
Opened in 2005, the Loyola University Museum of Art is dedicated to exploring, promoting, and understanding art and artistic expression that illuminates the enduring spiritual questions of all cultures and societies. As a museum with an interest in education and educational programming, LUMA reflects the University’s Jesuit mission and is dedicated to helping people of all creeds explore the roots of their faith and spiritual quests. Located at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus, the museum occupies the first three floors of the University’s historic Lewis Towers on Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue. For more information, visit the museum’s website at LUC.edu/luma.

Art illuminating the spirit!

-LUMA-