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Speaking of Photography

Meg Dreyer

Please come out and join us for May's "Speaking of Photography".

Meg Dreyer will be discussing "The Art of Omission: the role of the unspoken in engaging the viewer".

We live in a culture of oversharing, broadcasting our every thought and movement on Facebook or Twitter, taking enormous pride in being the first to post a great link or start a popular thread. Information is social currency, traded on countless blogs and on sites like YouTube and Yelp, and status can be won through disseminating information.

As artists we are in the authoritative position of possessing information that is ours alone to divulge because we originate it: we tell others through our images what we observe, what we think, what we know. We have specific ideas of what we want to communicate, and we strive to do so with clarity and resolve. Yet in the age of information overload it's sometimes useful to hold back; when everything is known, the unknown intrigues and seduces. Images that subtly allude to, or frankly omit, information actively engage the viewer's imagination, permitting his participation; the risk they carry is that their meaning then lies outside the artist's intentions and control. This talk explores the role of ambiguity and omission in creating compelling and memorable images, probing the question, how does the artist tolerate the involvement of others in his work?

Meg Dreyer is a photographer, designer and teacher. She received her BA from Dartmouth College in English and Art History, then attended medical school at Columbia University before choosing a career in art and design. In 2008 she completed her MFA at Rhode Island School of Design, graduating with honors. She has worked professionally as a graphic designer for companies that include Chermayeff & Geismar and Landor Associates in New York and the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Currently she maintains an independent design and fine art photography practice in Atlanta and teaches design and art history at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. You can view her work at artifactsartifictions.com

"SPEAKING OF PHOTOGRAPHY"

Wednesday, May 18, 7:30 p.m. - APG Gallery

Image:
"Untitled" © Meg Dreyer, 2010