Exhibition Opening: “Reflections: A Brief History of Looking at Ourselves”
Starting with early portraiture, “Reflections: A Brief History of Looking at Ourselves” is a new photography exhibition exploring themes of identity and place that are at the cornerstone of human experience and widely examined in contemporary photography. The year-long exhibition draws from the Maryland Historical Society’s photograph holdings, including daguerreotypes, salt prints, glass negatives, silver gelatin and digital prints. The exhibition opening June 19 is free and includes a light reception.
“Reflections” specifically examines how portraiture has developed—beginning around 1840—and progressed over the years to the point where we can so easily take and share self-portraits, or “selfies,” today. Themes such as identity, belonging, place, and the gaze—in all their manifestations—will be explored, as well as sub-themes of family portraits, sports, work life, childhood, sexuality and transportation.
The exhibition’s co-curators are Joe Tropea, Curator of Films and Photographs at MdHS, and Elena Volkova, Assistant Professor of Photography at Stevenson University.