The newest exhibition coming to the Downtown Artists Co-op is described below in an artist statement from Mitzi Cross, who together with fellow photographer Mark Griggs has worked to bring the Clarksville art community this unique show during the month of October:

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Recovered memories/Imagined portraits is a collaboration by Renaissance man/Fine Art Photographer Mark Griggs and Writer/ Fine Art Photographer, Mitzi… Cross. The show is a collection of images, poems, and stories inspired by an awesome discovery made by Mark Grigg’s son. He came upon a box of vintage Glass Lantern Slides, tossed in the trash like a pair of worn shoes. Knowing his father was a collector of all things photographic, he snatched up these images like a gold miner.

Because the images were Positive slides we had to first create large format 8×10 negatives using Orthochromatic film. In wanting to remain authentic to the time-period we chose to process everything in the darkroom. No digital work exists in this show. Mark chose the alternative process Van Dyke brown printing as one of his mediums.

I have chosen to further alter the images by darkroom manipulations and story telling. I responded by asking myself a series of questions; What is the story in this photo? Who were they? What did they value? Who did they love? What were their secrets? Successes? Failures? What happened right before the picture was taken? I wanted them to have a voice. I felt they deserved to have a history, even if it is imagined. On these Glass Lantern Slides, someone’s memories have begun to fade, like a message written in steam on a bathroom mirror.

Show Dates: Opening reception: Thursday, October 7, 2010 5-7 PM
Artist Talk: Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 5:30 PM
Show Duration: October 7th–October 30th