Hannah Star Rogers, Columbia University;
Worthy Martin, UVA

Denver 2015: Visual and Sensory Approaches

This exhibition explores the photography of Berenice Abbott (1898-1991) and its use in both scientific and artistic contexts. It investigates the impact of her work not only in art but also in science, documentaries, and the history of science education. By the early 1950s, Abbott was experimenting with photographs of scientific subjects. She produced images of a variety of objects, from magnets and mirrors to insects and roots, which were included in scientific textbooks. Abbott's photographs offer an opportunity to reflect on not only the ways that science influences art, but also on how art influences science. While there exists a long and well-researched tradition of artists' involvement with natural history, Abbott's photographs also include physics images that function as two-dimensional models of physics concepts.The exhibition features works from The Fralin Museum of Art's collection of Abbott's original photographs, including images reproduced in science texts. This installation celebrates the work of a photographer whose images influenced both art and science.