STLCC-Wildwood Presents “First Light: An Exploration in Kitchen Photography During the Pandemic”
Artist Matthew Weber is one individual who has embraced change during these trying times.
A photographer, printmaker and instructor at St. Louis Community College, Weber was unable to access a digital studio or darkroom at the onset of the pandemic. To overcome this obstacle, he chose to explore new ways of making art.
Other artists in his professional network did the same. By adopting alternative analog methods from some of the earliest pioneering photographic processes, these artists have built bodies of work from their homes that reflects their unique styles and creativity.
Weber has curated this work for a new art exhibition at STLCC-Wildwood. The exhibition, titled “First Light: An Exploration in Kitchen Photography During the Pandemic,” features works produced by printing on fabric, using constructed negatives and incorporating plant, vegetable and fruit pulp to construct light-sensitive emulsions.
“This exhibition is an example of the creativity of human beings under adversity, our ability to find joy and fulfillment in the materials and processes that surround us on a day-to-day basis, and our goal of producing meaningful work even during this trying time,” Weber said.
“First Light” is on display Nov. 2-Dec. 11 at STLCC-Wildwood. In addition to Weber, the exhibition features the work of Robin Assner-Alvey, Madeline Brenner, Krista Frohling, Betsy Morris, Erica Popp and Sharon Tyhurst.