Spring exhibit now on display in de Saisset museum
By Mary Chamaki
A celebration of nature and a fascination with creation is vividly captured in the overlooked species of marine invertebrates and various insects depicted the photography seen in the new exhibition at the de Saisset Museum.
The museum held an opening event for their newest exhibit on Friday, which featured photographic works from artists Jo Whaley and Susan Middleton.
Although the exhibit features two different collections; the photography of insects by Whaley and the photography of marine invertebrates created by Middleton, both held several thematic similarities including the combination of arts and sciences as well as "looking at the overlooked".
"Life Cycle and The Theater of Insects brought together art and science in two delightful and wonderfully compelling exhibitions. Through their photographs, both Susan Middleton and Jo Whaley called attention to some of nature's creatures — invertebrates and insects — that are often overlooked.
Characterized by brilliant colors and playful imagery, both artists' work celebrates the extreme diversity of our natural world and inspires a sense of awe and wonder at the amazing world in which we live" said Lindsey Kouvaris, museum curator.
While all of the artwork brought out a specific feature of creation and the natural world, certain pieces stood out from each collection.
Among Whaley's collection, the butterfly photo entitled Cithaerias was able to highlight the overall theme of the collection.
According to Whaley, her work often embodies natural creation against a man-made background. In this specific piece there is a man-made drawing of the nerves in the human eye, artfully intertwined with the colors and design in the two butterflies.
Middleton progresses in her work by "attaching herself to experts," often befriending marine biologists and following them in their journeys in order to capture her artistic photography on the invertebrates they study.
While both artists use digital photography in their work, neither manipulates their photos in Photoshop. Rather, they use paintings and stage lighting to provide the necessary background to highlight the creature represented.
Both Whaley and Middleton are Bay Area artists, finding their roots in local undergraduate universities. Whaley began her career in her undergraduate work at UC Berkeley, focusing on Stage Design and painting, and later moving into photographic work.
Middleton is a Santa Clara Alumnus, who graduated in the class of 1970 with a major in Sociology and a minor in art, giving current Santa Clara Art majors hope for a bright future in the field. Like Whaley, though she did not originally begin with a career in photography, she found that her earlier experience with painting and sculpture enabled her to better capture the photos in her current collection.
Middleton will also be holding an artist talk on May 12 at 7 p.m., giving the public a more detailed inside look at the process behind her pieces along with insights into her artistic motives.
Contact Mary Chamaki at mchamaki@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4546.