Light Work Announces Upcoming Exhibition

Don Gregorio Antón — Ollin Mecatl: The Measure of Movements

January 14–March 20, 2008
Panel Discussion and Gallery Reception: Thursday, February 7, 2008, 5-8pm

Light Work is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition, Ollin Mecatl: The Measure of Movements, featuring thirty-eight photographic retablos by Don Gregorio Antón.

Retablos have been part of Mexico's tradition since the 17th century. They were originally hung behind the altars of Catholic churches to give thanks or to honor saints, and remain a tradition to this day.   Frida Kahlo described retablos as the truest representation of the people's art. Regardless of the often crudely drawn depictions by primarily untrained retablo artists, the votive paintings voiced what was in the hearts of the faithful. Antón creates mystical retablos on copper that look like sacred objects in themselves. They are intimately small objects and sit on stands to be viewed individually. In the words of Cameron Woodall, Antón "explores the possibilities of the spirit and enhances our awareness of its existence. ... His work deals with the meaning of self and the spirit within and around that self."

To create his retablos, Antón draws on memories of his youth—his childhood neighborhood steeped in culture and identity outside of Los Angeles, his challenges in school, and the hope and expression that the discovery of photography offered him. According to John Wood, "Don Gregorio Antón's photographs radiate compassion like the work of no other living artist I know."

Don Gregorio Antón Los Pequeños Ciervos (The Little Deer), 2006

Antón is a professor of art at Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Bronx Museum of the Arts; at Nagase Photo Salon in Tokyo, Japan; at the National Center of Photography in England; and at the Meridian Gallery in San Francisco, among many others. His work is featured in the permanent collections at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, among others. He participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in 2006. Light Work will host a panel discussion and gallery reception on February 7, 2008 from 5-8pm to celebrate Antón's exhibition. Further details about the panel discussion will be announced later.

Also on view at this time is the Transmedia Photography Annual exhibition , featuring images by students in the Transmedia Department at Syracuse University.   Gallery hours for these exhibitions are Sunday to Friday, 10am-6pm, and by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 315-443-1300. The exhibitions and reception are free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in the Marion Parking Lot and Booth Garage.  

Light Work invites groups and individuals to schedule tours and gallery talks of the exhibition and facility. Light Work is a nonprofit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media. Light Work is a member of CMAC, the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers at Syracuse University. For more information about any of these exhibitions, please contact Jessica Heckman at Light Work, 315-443-1300 or jhheckma@syr.edu.

Press images available.

**Press Image Captions :

File name: almas.jpg
Almas (Souls), 2005
Don Gregorio Antón
Translucent image on copper, 7.5 x 8.5"

File Name: anton_journey.jpg
Los Pequeños Ciervos (The Little Deer), 2006
Don Gregorio Antón
Translucent image on copper, 8 x 8"