On display in our West Gallery, Painted With Light: Northwest Pictorialist Photography, 1910-1930 features rare photographs created by some of the masters of Pictorialism in the Northwest.
This movement resulted in photography being accepted as an art form through the use of artistic darkroom techniques that were compatible with the work of painters and printmakers. This style flourished in Washington state primarily through the internationally recognized Seattle Camera Club in the early 20th century.
Many popular painting styles parallel Pictorialism, such as Tonalism, Symbolism, and especially Impressionism, allowing the practitioners to use the camera as their preferred medium of expression.
The exhibition includes artists Wayne Albee (1882-1937), Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976), Myra Albert Wiggins (1869-1959), Frank Asakichi Kunishige (1878-1960), Ella McBride (1862-1965), Hideo Onishi (1890-?), Hiromu Kira (1898-1991), Dr. Kyo Koike (1878-1947) and others.
image: Myra Albert Wiggins (1869-1959), Alaska, 1899. Platinum print.
June 3, 2021 – October 10, 2021