CINCINNATI.- From Aug. 15 to Nov. 8, Unknown Elements presents a selection of 26 photographs from the
Cincinnati Art Museum's collection about which some details are unknown. The photographs, from the mid-19th century to present day, are without the name of the photographer, or the identity of the sitter, or the place and time the picture was made.
Five Cincinnati-area writers responded to these gaps in knowledge with poems, short stories and other creative responses. These writings are presented alongside some of the photographs as a prompt for viewers' own reflections.
Unknown Elements challenges visitors to unleash their imagination in interpreting the photographs; experience visual art from a written artist’s perspective; and explore art through what is not revealed on the surface. Almost all of the photographs, whether by famous names like Walker Evans or anonymous, are displayed for the first time.
The exhibit is in the Albert E. Heekin and Bertha E. Heekin Gallery on the museum’s second floor (Gallery 212). Cincinnati Art Museum Associate Curator of Photography, Brian Sholis, organized the display.
Featured Cincinnati Writers:
· Matt Hart - poet, musician, professor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
http://www.expresscincinnati.com/exp-commentary/matt-hart-poet-punk-rocker-and-professor/
· Sarah Rose Nordgren - poet, professor at Miami University; her first book of poems, Best Bones, won a prestigious prize and was just published by University of Pittsburgh Press. http://sarahrosenordgren.com
· Albert Pyle - writer, former columnist for Cincinnati Magazine, former executive director of the Mercantile Library.
· Leah Stewart - novelist, director of the UC Creative Writing program. New novel released in July. http://leahstewart.com/site/?page_id=6 and http://books.simonandschuster.com/The-NewNeighbor/Leah-Stewart/9781501103513
· Kathy Y. Wilson - writer, former CityBeat columnist, first Writer-in-Residence at the Cincinnati Public Library. http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2014/librarywriterinresidence.html
