Jo Whaley: Theater of Insects

November 7, 2008 – January 10, 2009

Artist Reception and Book Signing: Friday, November 7th, 2008 5-7 PM Contact: Anne Kelly 505-988-5159 x121 or Heather Prichard 505-988-5159 x116

photo-eye Gallery, located at 376 Garcia Street in Santa Fe, is pleased to announce Theater of Insects, photographs by Jo Whaley. Jo will be present for this reception and book signing on November 7th, 2008 from 5-7 pm. Photographs by Linda Connor will also be on display.

Jo Whaley constructs mesmerizing scenes with vibrantly colored bugs that echo the tradition of natural history dioramas, but are artfully placed against weathered, manmade backgrounds. The result is a compelling marriage of natural and artificial, art and science. The constructed sets created for these insects make use of discarded materials from urban production.

Early in Jo's career she earned a living as a scenic artist for the theater, where she learned prop construction, theatrical painting techniques and lighting that she uses today. Her studio is as much a theatrical scene shop filled with specimens as a photography studio. Jo uses free association and intuition when arranging compositions focusing on color, shape, and form. She plays with elements and lighting until the magic of the image appears.

Jo states, "Ponder a minuscule, seemingly insignificant insect. If one carefully looks at the overlooked, a whole world presents itself. The appearances of insects range from those of menacing aliens to those of creatures of ornamental beauty. Their ingenious structures and designs are unique visual qualities that inspire awe.”

Jo's work is included in many collections, The George Eastman House, Rochester, NY, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX, Polaroid Corporation, Germany, Swatch International, Zurich, Switzerland, Dow Jones Collection, NY, among others. She has received prestigious awards such as NEA, National Artist Fellowship, Washington DC, Polaroid Corporation Studio Grant, NY, Polaroid Corporation Studio Grant, NY, Gyorgy Kepes Grant in Photography, Creators Equity Foundation, Berkeley, CA, and California Arts Council Grant.

Also on display will be photographs by Linda Connor. Linda photographs spiritual and exotic locations worldwide. She was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1976 and 1988, and received A Guggenheim Fellowship in 1979. Her work is included in several collections and she is a professor at the Photography Department at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she has taught since 1969. She is also a founding director of the San Francisco Bay Area non-profit group, PhotoAlliance.

Both photographers are celebrating a new publication by Chronicle Books. Jo's monograph, Theater of Insects, is being published to coincide with an exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences and travel to the Museum of Photographic Arts and beyond throughout 2008 and 2009. Linda's monograph, Odyssey, is a retrospective of her haunting photos, including her renowned prints from century-old glass-plate astronomical negatives from Lick Observatory, contextualized by an unprecedented three-way conversation between Linda and two modern luminaries, Robert Adams and Emmet Gowin. Linda's book will be available for presale.

For more information about this exhibition or to arrange an interview, please contact Anne Kelly or Heather Prichard at photo-eye Gallery by phone at 505.988.5159 x202 or by email at gallery@photoeye.com.