7/29/13

"Collaboration and Continuum": The Carnival Photographs of Bill Rauhauser and Carlos Diaz - August 2 - August 30, 2013


Collaboration and Continuum: The Carnival Photographs of Bill Rauhauser and
Carlos Diaz, curated by Mary McNichols, Ph.D.

August 2  - August 30, 2013

Opening Reception is August 2, 2013 (First Friday)
 
Curator and Artists' Talk at 8 p.m.
Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady Street

The Northville Art House presents an installation of the works of two
renowned Detroit-based photographers who have collaborated in various ways
throughout their careers, first in a student-teacher relationship at the
College for Creative Studies, later as colleagues in the Photography
Department at the College, and most recently, photographing the people and
the landscape of carnivals. 

The work demonstrates the artists' diverse stylistic and thematic
approaches. Carlos Diaz, Professor of Photography at the College for
Creative Studies, offers photographs that are staged portraits of carnival
ride attendants as well as images of the carnival landscape. Bill Rauhauser,
Professor Emeritus of Photography at the College for Creative Studies,
presents "street photographs," finding his subject, as did Baudelaire's
flaneurs, while mingling with the crowd.  Seen together, the work provides
the viewer with a poignant glimpse into the lives of the people who inhabit
the world of the carnival. The show is curated by Mary McNichols, Ph.D.,
Professor of Art History at the College for Creative Studies. Biographical
information is attached.

The show will open in the Art House's upper gallery with a reception, 6-9
p.m., Friday, August 2. There will be a curator and artists' talk at 8 p.m.
the night of the reception. The show will continue through August 30 during
Art House gallery hours (Wednesdays-Saturdays, 1-5 p.m.). For additional
information, call 248-344-0497 or visit  "
http://www.northvillearts.org"
www.northvillearts.org. The Art House is located at 215 W. Cady Street and
is a facility of the Northville Arts Commission. Admission to Art House
shows is always free and open to the public.
 
CALENDAR ITEMS:
Collaboration and Continuum: The Carnival Photographs of Bill Rauhauser and
Carlos Diaz, curated by Mary McNichols, Ph.D.

Opening Reception: August 2 (First Friday), 6-9 p.m.; exhibit continues
through August 30.

Gallery Hours: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. (6-9 p.m. First Fridays)
Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady Street Free

Images:
Bill Rauhauser, "Untitled", Pigment Print.

Carlos Diaz, "The Whip, Carnival Ride Attendant", 20x20", Digital Print,
1981.

Biographical Information

Professor of Art History at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit,
Mary McNichols earned her Ph.D. in art history, women's studies and higher
education administration; her M.A. in art history; and her B.A. in English.
In addition to substantial teaching experiences, she has also held several
administrative positions at the College, including Associate Academic Dean.
Widely published, Dr. McNichols has also presented papers at numerous
conferences.  Her work has been most recently published in The Photo Review;
The International Review of African American Art; Jung Journal: Culture and
Psyche; and Religion and the Arts.  In addition, she contributed to the
research and writing of the architects' biographies for the 2012 Wayne State
University Press publication, Detroit's Historic Places of Worship.

"Originally trained as an architectural engineer, Bill Rauhauser, "Dean of
Detroit photographers," has photographed Detroit and its people for over 60
years. His subject matter is diverse, ranging from street photography (his
personal favorite) to mundane objects that often function as contemporary
cultural artifacts, to the "art photography" as represented by his
Asymptotes series. Rauhauser was also one of the pioneers who introduced
Detroit to the medium of photography. He joined the Photography Department
at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in 1970 and retired in 2002. The
College has since conferred on him the honor of Professor Emeritus and, in
2011, the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa. [from McNichols,
Mary. "A Conversation with Bill Rauhauser." Photo Review 29:3 (2010): 2-6].
 
While he also initially considered a career in engineering, Carlos Diaz
earned his BFA in photography from the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in
1980, and his MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983. Diaz has been the
recipient of many awards, including a 2010 Kresge Foundation Community Arts
Grant. His work is installed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
as well as at the Detroit Institute of Arts, among many other museums and
galleries. It is currently represented by the Catherine Edelman Gallery in
Chicago, Illinois. Having been a member of the faculty of the Photography
Department at the College for Creative Studies since 1984, Diaz served as
the Chair of the Photography Department at CCS from 1995 to 2000, and is
currently Professor of Photography at the College. Diaz has worked with
Rauhauser as both his student and colleague during their respective time at
CCS."