The PhotoSynthesis gallery in Manchester, Connecticut is having a show themed “Witching Hour: Imagery from Darkness” – the deadline to enter is August 31, 2016. It’s open to any photographic medium.
From their description of the show:
“Historically, the witching hour is that time of night when witches, ghosts, and supernatural beings are thought to be most active. The exact time varies depending on particular beliefs, but is generally considered to be some period of darkness between dusk and dawn. An everyday use of the term might define the witching hour simply as “after dark.”
Whatever one’s beliefs or lack thereof in the supernatural, it is certain that the perception of one’s surroundings at night can be substantially different than the perception of one’s surroundings during the day. Moonlight creates soft shadows; forms merge together; imagination and fear lurk in the darkness. Perhaps fatigue sets in and feeds our mind irrational images—”a trick of the light and too much caffeine,” to borrow a line from the gothic rock band Bauhaus.
We are seeking images, in any photographic medium, that convey interpretations of the witching hour. How do you photograph darkness? Forty to fifty pieces will be chosen by the juror to be exhibited at Gallery 136½.”
Full details and the online entry form:
Here is one of Man Ray’s rayographs. He lived in Paris for most of his life and loved the surrealism freedom. In addition to his wildly abstract works he also created highly acclaimed portrait photos of many of the luminaries of the time – James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and so on.
