Cal Poly University Art Gallery to Exhibit Alternative Process Photography Oct. 2-Nov. 1

Wax Tickler, by Daniel Herrera

Opening Lecture and Reception Set for Oct. 2

Seven artists combine modern photographic digital technologies with historical processes in the upcoming alternative photography exhibit at Cal Poly’s University Art Gallery, running Thursday, Oct. 2, through Saturday, Nov. 1.

Titled “Photography Now?,” the exhibition will open at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, with a lecture by artist Daniel Herrera, followed by a reception in the gallery at 6 p.m.

The artists — Herrera, Niniane Kelley, Margo Duvall, Kathleen McDonald, Brittney Cathey-Adams, Eliana Cetto and Hedwig Heerschop — craft unique and powerful images through alternative processes.

The term “alternative process” refers to any non-traditional or non-commercial photographic printing process, often called historical or non-silver processes. Most of these processes were invented more than 100 years ago and were used by early photographers.

For the opening lecture, Herrera will discuss his work with gum bichromate — a 19th  century photographic printing process based on the light sensitivity of dichromates. Gum bichromate can render painterly images from photographic negatives. Herrera’s process includes making models, creating prosthetics, photographing separate images, and combining them in Photoshop prior to making gum prints.

The University Art Gallery is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The gallery is on the ground floor of the Dexter Art Building (No. 34) at Cal Poly.