Dayton Art Institute

Spanning approximately 175 years, Getting Technical navigates the varying and conflicting definitions of “alternative processes.” The exhibition features historical practices prior to the invention of gelatin silver prints, some of which lack factory-ready materials, produce images with a lensless camera, or require hand-manipulation. Photography was born out of interest in science and chemistry, dedication to trial-and-error, and the circulation of ideas and enthusiasm amongst photographers. This exhibition honors those early commitments to experimentation and their lasting influence.

Artists: Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Charles Swedlund, Daniel Ranalli, Darryl Curran, Ed Grüne, Ernst Haas, Jon Verney, Karina Serapio Rendon, Lou Krueger, Nolan Preece

With Mariah A. Postlewait (curator)

Cost: Free to Pass Holders in October, venue members, and children 6 and under. General admission: $15 adults; $10 seniors and active military; $5 college students and children 7–17

Source: fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab)

The Meiji Period in Japan (1868–1912) brought great changes to Japanese culture and society. Looking for Japan: Early Japanese Photography brings to the foreground how these cultural beliefs, traditions, and practices may have been packaged for, and influenced by, Western audiences via the newly established tourist trade. Objects range from single photographs and postcards to albums, from albumen travel photographs to hanging scroll collotypes. The exhibition spotlights hand-colored prints depicting landscapes, cities, and portraits, including historical Japanese architecture, hairstyles, clothing, weapons, and even tattoos. The highly personal, and sometimes provocative, images prompt us to consider history, culture, and societal change.

The exhibition will include photographs from the studios of Ogawa Kazumasa, Kusakabe Kimbei, Tamamura Kozaburo, Suzuki Shinichi II, and Stillfried and Anderson, among others.

Artists: Kusakabe Kimbei, Ogawa Kazumasa, Stillfried and Anderson, Suzuki Shinichi II, Tamamura Kozaburo

With Mariah A. Postlewait (curator), Peter Doebler (curator)

Cost: Free to Pass Holders in October, venue members, and children 6 and under. General admission: $15 adults; $10 seniors and active military; $5 college students and children 7–17

Source: fotofocus.org (opens in a new tab)