Wunderkabinett, The Light Factory‘s upcoming exhibition focuses on the micro world of insects. The title alludes to an encyclopedic survey, a cabinet of curiosities, or a collection –  as visualized through the eyes of four photographers, Marcus DeSieno, Daniel Kariko, Angela Franks Wells, and  Joshua White.

Josh White began A Photographic Survey of the American Yard by shooting insects and plants found only in his own backyard. He has since expanded the geographic scope a bit, but has continued to shoot the objects in a similar way since the onset: objects seemingly float in the center of a light-colored background, and are all captured with and edited using only his iPhone. If you want to see even more from the series, some are concurrently on view through mid-May in Chambers Building on the campus of Davidson College, in conjunction with a workshop he taught a few weeks back to students in The Chemistry of Art.

Josh White, Untitled, from “A Photographic Survey of the American Yard,” archival pigment print

Wells also photographs in her backyard or around her porch, and develops her images using the Chromoskedasic Sabatier printing method – an experimental darkroom process that produces unique colors through both chemical and light exposure.

Angela Franks Wells, “Wheel Bug,” Chromoskedasic Sabatier print

Daniel Kariko’s photographs of insects are composites of several exposures with a Scanning Electron Microscope and Stereoscopic Microscope. With careful lighting, Kariko’s Suburban Symbiosis “portraits” reflect the tradition of 17th Century Dutch masters.

Daniel Kariko, “Front Porch, Doormat, August 14th (Boll Weevil),” from “Suburban Symbiosis: Insectum domesticus” series

Marcus DeSieno’s Parasites project is an ongoing body of work featuring parasitic animals captured with a Scanning Electron Microscope and then exposed onto dry plate gelatin ferrotype plates. His final images are archival pigment prints that have been printed large enough to create a bodily interaction or confrontation between subject and viewer.

Marcus DeSieno, “Dermacentor andersoni,” Archival Pigment Print from Dry Plate Gelatin Ferrotype

We’re looking forward to viewing all of this work in person beginning on April 8, with a reception and artist talk scheduled for April 9 from 5:30-8:30pm.