An exhibition that features digital enlargements of panoramic photographs from James L. (Lippit) Clark’s archives from the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
James L. Clark Archives and the Construction of Habitat Dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History. A new exhibition at Satellite Gallery offers unprecedented access to the visual archives of artist and explorer James L. (Lippit) Clark from the American Museum of Natural History, New York.
October 29, 2011 to January 14, 2012
Opening Reception: October 28, 6pm to 9pm
Satellite Gallery presents Nature, Knowledge and the Knower, an exhibition that features digital enlargements of panoramic photographs as well as an online display of a selection of artist and explorer James L. (Lippit) Clark’s archives from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. This exhibition presents three dramatic panoramas taken with Kodak Cirkut cameras in Kenya between 1920 and 1930. The enlarged photographs will provide visitors to Satellite Gallery with an immersive environment to consider how African nature was seen, understood and measured for reconstruction and representation at the Museum.
An online archive is the second element of the exhibition, providing unprecedented access to a selection of visual materials originally collected and organized by Clark. These resources were gathered to facilitate the making of the habitat dioramas and to provide the museum’s exhibition department with an in-house picture collection. The website,www.natureknowledgeknower.com will be launched on October 28, 2011. The photographs and the visual material in the online archive have never before been exhibited.
James L. (Lippit) Clark (1883-1969) was an artist, explorer, big-game hunter, entrepreneur, museum preparator and director. After the sudden death of Carl Akeley in 1926 in Africa, he was assigned by the American Museum of Natural History to complete the construction of the Hall of African Mammals. Curated by Mohammad Salemy, this two-part exhibition includes works by James L. Clark, Carl Akeley, Alfred J. Klein, William Leigh, Herbert Lang, Arthur Jansson, Robert Kane, Raymond DeLucia, George Mason and others whose works are included in the James L. Clark archives.
For more information contact:
Karen Benbassat – Gallery/Program Manager
Satellite Gallery, 560 Seymour Street, 2nd Floor, Vancouver
604-681-8425 – karen@satellitegallery.ca
Photo: James Clark Working Files, Field card containing 6 black and white photographs of taxidermied specimens for use in White-Mantled Colobus Group diorama, Akeley Hall of African Mammals. Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History, Department of Library Services. Photographs for publication are available on request.
