All the photographs mentioned in this blog post are currently on view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center. The building is open to current students, faculty, and staff due to the pandemic. View all artworks on view in the Wall Center at the link below:
Joshua White
Feather
Archival pigment print
4 x 4 in
Gallery Purchase
Joshua White’s archival pigment prints in A Photographic Survey of the American Yard capture both memory and science, evoking childhood nostalgia as well as scientific study. Small in scale, the prints require close observation in order to investigate the minuscule structures embedded in each specimen. The specimens range from feathers and Queen Anne’s Lace to beetles, fruits, butterflies, bugs, and animal bones. The use of negative space around the specimens amplifies the unique textures and patterns of each study.
In his artist statement, White recounts the many hours spent in his yard as a child, investigating the minutiae of nature and paying attention to the details that often go overlooked. Shown in isolation, each captured object holds its own power, allowing the viewer to better understand the delicacies of the specimens. The idea of capturing a sense of wonder in the natural world is central to the series. Viewed in this manner, the series becomes a reminder to take time to notice both simplicity and complexity within the immediate surrounding environment, not some far off, idealized landscape.
From left to right: Joshua White, Dog Day Cicada Wings, Tibicen canicularis, Long Horn Beetle, Family Cerambycidae, Queen Anne’s Lace, Daucus carota, archival pigment prints, 4 x 4 in, Gallery Purchase
From left to right: Joshua White, Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio polyxene, Bone, Carolina Allspice Fruit, Calycanthus floridus, archival pigment prints, 4 x 4 in, Gallery Purchase
Check out his Instagram, @aphotographicsurvey, for a more complete set of prints in his A Photographic Survey of the American Yard series.
Combining science and nature with themes of memory and loss, Joshua White mainly works in the realms of photography, technology, and sculpture. White received his MFA in Photography from Arizona State University. He is an Assistant Professor of Art at Appalachian State University and currently lives and works in West Jefferson, NC. Find more about his most recent projects at https://www.joshuawhitephotography.com.
Emilie Hoke ‘21