Figures seem to emerge from the enveloping night and eerily-lit scenes require the viewer to really look at a photograph to discover what is going on in the scene — and even then the answer may be ambiguous. Siegfried Halus uses nocturnal space and lengthy exposures to create an ‘other-worldly’ atmosphere as the stage for his photographs. His work is primarily figurative — meaning the subject is the body — which he acknowledges as a longtime interest. “The body has the capacity to convey gestural meaning, a language that for the most part we no longer know how to read,” according to Halus. He also describes his work as ’sculptural’ — as he likes to manipulate his photographs through additive or subtractive processes, much as a plastic medium.
“The Body, Out of Darkness” opens September 20 in the Fine Arts Center Gallery and will continue through October 8. Siegfried Halus, who serves as Director of Fine Arts at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico, will present a lecture on Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 pm in Room 213 of the Fine Arts Center. A reception for the artist will follow in the gallery.