Light Work showcases recipients of 2005 Light Work Grants in Photography

Light Work showcases recipients of 2005 Light Work Grants in PhotographyOctober 17, 2005Jaime Winne Alvarez jlwinne@syr.edu

The Light Work gallery, located at 316 Waverly Ave., will showcase the work of the 31st Annual Light Work Grants in Photography recipients, Nov. 1-Dec. 22. A reception will be held Nov. 3 at 6 p.m., in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

The three winners, Luke Buffenmyer, Doug DuBois and Steven Skopik, are all Central New York residents. For the past 31 years, Light Work has awarded grants to photographers, critics and photo historians who reside in Central New York. The grant is a fellowship that includes a $1,000 cash award, exhibition and publication in “The Light Work Annual.”

Applicants were required to submit 10 examples of their work along with a short application form. Three judges from outside the grant area selected the recipients based on the merits of their work. The judges for the 2005 Light Work Grants competition were Martin Kollar, Katharine Kreisher and Kanako Sasaki.

The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work’s ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

The 2005 Light Work Grant recipients are:

Luke Buffenmyer, Syracuse, N.Y., Onondaga CountyBuffenmyer focuses primarily on landscape photography. His work, from the series “The Land Viewed: Reflecting on the historical in a digital landscape,” features digitally manipulated black-and-white images that reference the 19th-century landscape. They question such ideas as the premise of originality and authorship. Buffenmyer says that these images reflect his “fascination with the beauty of the photographic print yet speak to my need for intellectual justification.” The images are about “context, illusion, reality, nostalgia, and a sense of place.”

Doug DuBois, Syracuse, N.Y., Onondaga CountyDuBois, assistant professor of transmedia in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, has been photographing his family for the past 20 years, documenting their relationships since his father fell from a commuter train in 1985. The series focuses on their emotional reactions to the accident, and the struggle for his parents to hold their marriage together. In 2003, DuBois’ parents made the decision to end their marriage of 42 years. The large-format work submitted by DuBois was taken from 2003-05, after the decision to file for a divorce was made.

Steven Skopik, Ithaca, N.Y., Tompkins CountySkopik’s series, “Tokyo Totems,” features traditionally made photographs of Tokyo’s urban landscape digitally collaged with non-photo based graphic elements. He has drawn from product packaging, books, pamphlets, newspapers, print media, and historical Japanese calligraphic texts to create images featuring both graphic and photographic elements. The images depict both traditional and contemporary architecture, commercial signage, and infrastructural objects. While at first the images feel foreign and exotic, the ability to read certain signs in the sea of Japanese language (a Coca-Cola sign, for example) helps the Western audience to understand the global consumer culture of Japan. This series is produced in collaboration with Danny Guthrie.

At the same time as this exhibit, the work of Dale Pierce and Gary Walts will be on view in Community Darkrooms. Pierce and Walts are both recipients of the Director’s Choice Award, an honor that was recently established to compliment the annual Light Work Grants. It recognizes photographers who have consistently produced work of a high quality and who have been committed to working in Central New York.

Gallery hours for the 2005 Light Work Grants in Photography exhibit are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and by appointment. Light Work is a non-profit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Light Work at (315) 443-1300.