Janell E. O’Halloran: Reconsidering Nature

December 1-31, 2012
Opening: Saturday, Dec 1, 5-8pm

HEY! Café
4332 Magazine St. (on the corner of Magazine and Napoleon)
New Orleans, LA 70115
504-891-8682
Hours: Sun – Thur: 7am – 10pm, Fri + Sat: 7am – 8pm

Janell E. O’Halloran’s photographs depict real animals set in scientific dioramas and, by virtue of printing process, are meant to blur the lines between reality and imagination. Searching natural science museums to find man made scenes of nature and wildlife, the photographer depicts animals that were once alive and are now preserved in an altered state. The use of the photopolymer process highlights the constructed aspect of each photograph – leaving the viewer to question the reality of the moment.

Each image starts off as a positive transparency, which is transferred to a metal plate using UV light. Then each plate is washed to create grooves, which collect ink that when pressed against damp paper transfers each image. The nature of this process gives the artist the ability to give each work a sense of the unreal and reimagined.