NYAB Event - Ann Ginsburgh Hofkin "The Land Before You"

Ann Ginsburgh Hofkin "The Land Before You"

Weill Art Gallery/ 92nd Y

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Using black and white infrared film, Hofkin captures both the visible spectrum and the infrared light that lies beyond what the human eye can see. This exhibit features photographs of dramatic cloud formations, sinuous bodies of water, and sensuous trees and foliage that articulate Hofkin’s appreciation for the mystery inherent in our world.

The infared medium she uses accentuates the contrast between light and shadow, in an attempt to enhance our sense of the unknowable and underscore the limitations of our perceptions. Says Hofkin: “Upon viewing a scene before me, I am filled with a sense of awe, I attempt to ‘get my arms around’ what I see. I try to capture the essence of these feelings with my camera, later working to fashion my expression in an effort to faithfully commit to memory what I perceived. Behind all of this, too, lies the struggle against impermanence and a resistance to loss.”

Hofkin’s photographs of the Israeli landscape grew out of her experience as part of a Cultural Arts Exchange in 2001, when Hofkin worked collaboratively with Dr. Micha Shapira, an artist from the Kinneret region of Israel. This led her to explore the local landscape and consider its historical significance as it relates to both natural phenomena and conflicts over thousands of years. Since then, Hofkin has traveled to Israel eighteen more times, each visit producing an increasing feeling of being “home.”