China by Lens and Brush
By Rachel Peter Image of a Kerosene lamp breaking from the Broken Blossoms series. Photo by Rebecca Cummins. |
Like most visitors to China, Rebecca Cummins returned with plenty of photographs. But unlike most visitors, her exhibition displays nary a snapshot of local landmarks. Instead, her photographs document daily and seasonal light occurrences quite specific to moment and geographical location.
Cummins, UW associate professor in the School of Art (photography program), was an artist-in-residence at the Shenzhen Institute of Fine Art in Shenzhen, China, during the summer of 2008, along with Margie Livingston, an MFA graduate of the UW School of Art. Their work from that period is showcased in Rebecca Cummins and Margie Livingston, Work from the Shenzhen Residency, an exhibit at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery from January 14 through February 7.
Cummins arrived at the Institute at 1 a.m. on the Summer Solstice and began to photograph the sky every six hours, resulting in 60 Days in Shenzhen. Exhibited are 240 circular images that indicate the time of day and changing weather patterns (images taken during the 3 typhoons appear as flat gray discs). The piece exquisitely captures the temporal fluidity of the changing weather and time of day.
Another series, Broken Blossoms, used a sound-triggered flash borrowed from the son of Harold Edgerton, the inventor of the first electronic flash. In a dark and silent room, Cummins smashed glass objects donated by Shenzhen staff. The sound of the breaking glass triggered the flash, allowing two cameras to capture the exact moment of impact simultaneously from two viewpoints. The resulting images capture the objects exploding into small fragments, suspended in air.
Livingston was 2005 winner of the Alumni Award from the UW School of Art. Her work from Shenzhen explores the architectural and sculptural structures referencing commonly used bamboo scaffolding. These structures are manifested through studies constructed in her studio, which she then reduces to compositions on canvas capturing the essence of space and light.
Cummins and Livingston were the first artists-in-residence in the residency exchange, organized by School of Art Director Christopher Ozubko and Associate Professor Zhi Lin, between the School of Art, University of Washington and the Shenzhen Institute of Fine Art, which supports artists in art making and research.
“The hospitality and professional support provided by the Institute was terrific, plus the warmth, humor, and camaraderie left lasting impressions and insights,” says Cummins of her experience.
The artists will give a presentation on their Shenzhen experience at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 in 003 Art.
The Jacob Lawrence Gallery is located in the north corner of the Art building on the first floor. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, noon-4 p.m. All events at the Gallery are free and open to the public. For more information call 206-685-1805.Additonal images
- Rebecca Cummins: Kerosene lamp breaking in the Broken Blossoms series.
- Rebecca Cummins: Details from 60 Days in Shenzhen: a photograph every 6 hours from June 21 - August 20, 2009.
- Margie Livingston: Shenzhen Yellow Green, oil on linen.
Audio files:
The audio clips below were taken from an interview with Rebecca Cummins.
- The experience of living at the Shenzhen Institute of Fine Art
- Cummins discusses her Broken Blossoms series
- Cummins discusses Shenzhen by Moonlight, as seen as the main photograph for the story on the homepage
- Visiting China – Cummins’ experiences from her multiple trips