Steve Pyke: The Philosophers
Frank Hamrick: New Work

November 8 – December 14, 2012
Opening: Thursday, November 8, 2012, 6-8 pm
Steve Pyke Lecture: Friday, Nov 9, 7pm at NOPA Gallery

NOCCA
2800 Chartres St.
New Orleans, LA 70117
504-940-2787
Hours: Mon – Fri 9am-1pm; Sat 12-4pm

Two-person exhibition featuring new works by Frank Hamrick and Steve Pyke’s series The Philosophers.


‘De-mystifying the Modern Magicians’
If Steve Pyke’s portraits of cyber-punks project childlike innocence, and his portraits of film-directors confident mastery, what are we to say of his portraits of philosophers? These photos naturally lead one to try to match the philosophy with the image. In certain cases, the problem is not hard; Baudrillard and Derrida appear the French intellectuals they are, Parfit’s magisterial hair has long been thought difficult to separate from his views of personal identity, and Michael Dummett’s reproving gaze is surely due to our failure to grasp the structure of the anti-realist argument in the background of his dense tomes. But is the impish twinkle in David Lewis’s eyes some subtle clue about his attitude towards the metaphysical system he has bequeathed to history? How does the complexity of Anscombe’s thought relate to the austerity of her dress? In the end, Pyke’s famous photos raise more questions than they resolve.

Pyke will present a lecture at the New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery on Friday, November 9, starting at 7pm. Free and open to the public. Additionally, he is teaching a portraiture workshop on December 2nd.

Frank Hamrick is an assistant professor and the photography area coordinator for the School of Art at Louisiana Tech University. Frank received his BFA from The University of Georgia and his MFA from New Mexico State University. His work mixes photography, storytelling, handmade books and found objects, which addresses the private environment a home provides intermingled with personal secrets and memories. His art is consistently evolving from his additional experience at places such as The Maine Photographic Workshops, Hatch Show Print and Nexus Press. His work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions and housed in several permanent collections including the Center for Creative Photography and The Houston Center for Photography.