Light Work Gallery explores ‘Latin American Dreams’

Light Work Gallery explores ‘Latin American Dreams’January 22, 2004Anisha Joseph

As the Spring 2004 semester began, the Light Work Gallery at 316 Waverly Ave. opened a new exhibition, “A Map of Latin American Dreams,” featuring the work of Argentine photographer Martin Weber. Weber’s work will be on display through March 4, and there will be a free, public gallery talk and reception on Feb. 26 beginning at 5 p.m.

Since 1991, Weber has trekked through South American countries including Argentina, Peru,Nicaragua, Cuba and Uruguay, as well as through the border areas of San Diego and Tijuana. He has created the series of more than 40 black-and-white images, showcased in this exhibition, driven by his stated “need to explore the field of human desires, to play out the everyday ritual of wishing, of contrasting our real state to an ideal one.”

Weber asks his subjects to think about their wishes or dreams, and invites them to contemplate questions such as “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or “If you could have anything in that world, what would that be?” They relay their answers through hand-written messages on small chalkboards. These disclosed secrets and thoughts become captions for Weber’s images. Weber strongly feels that asking and reflecting on questions pertaining to what one wants or needs out of life is especially important in Latin America, which he calls “a land of contradictions and broken dreams.”

He says, “I work in places that share-a common language, a geographic and economic situation as third world countries, in which people are related through their everyday needs. What I aim for is to make the internal external by photographing it.” Born and raised in Argentina, Weber now works in Buenos Aires and as New York. Early studies in film, theater, and acting have strongly influenced his still photography.

Weber has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, such as the Hasselblad Grant and the Guggenheim Fellowship, and has participated in a number of solo and group exhibitions. He also participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence program in 2002, and his current exhibition is partly supported by a U Encounter grant.

Concurrently with the Weber exhibition, Light Works is hosting the annual art media studies photography exhibition, comprised of 60 images created by seniors in the art media studies division of the photography department. For more information, please contact Light Work at 443-1300.