Exhibition Dates: September 5 - October 5, 2002
Opening reception for the artist: Saturday September 7, 2002, 2 - 5PM
Born in Hazard, Kentucky, Shelby Lee Adams has devoted 30 years of his life to visiting and making portraits of families living in backwoods Appalachia. Shelby’s photographs confront the viewer with representations of reality that do not avoid difficult subject matter as he continues to pursue his personal, expressive view of the human condition.
Using a large format camera to register details more clearly, the low-level lighting conditions required the use of artificial lighting to make adequate exposures. Over time, Shelby’s familiarity with his subjects as well as his desire to make a more honest statement beget the use of more complex lighting. His technical capabilities in lighting and printing combine to create black and white photographs that are both majestic and haunting.
