June 21–July 29, 2023
Opening reception: Summer Solstice, Wednesday, June 21, 7–10pm
Viewing hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 12–5pm, or by appointment
Day & Night Projects is proud to present Surface of the Possible, a two-person exhibition by Ashley Kauschinger and Stephanie Dowda DeMer. The two artists push the envelope of photographic possibilities in order to meditate on hope, loss, ritual, and transformation. For one year, Kauschinger and Dowda DeMer created work on or informed by the celestial events of the equinoxes and solstices of 2022-23 (Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring). These are annual moments to collectively gaze into the galaxy and feel connected to the forces of the universe. Specifically focusing on these days, the artists marked time through periods of reflection and art making. Both artists explore the materiality of photography through ritualization and the collection of sunlight. The exhibition also seeks to reflect on our collective loss throughout the pandemic as well as the personal losses the artists experienced this year.
Kauschinger created one lumen print for every hour of sunlight on each equinox and solstice, then stitched them together into light timelines. Other works include large format photographs of sun rituals that consider reflection, absorption, and photosynthesis. Dowda DeMer explored online reportage from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, appropriating images of the moon's surface. DeMer focused her gaze on the forces of the moon while Kauschinger found transformation through the sun.
Surface of the Possible will open with a free, public reception on the Summer Solstice, Wednesday, June 21, 7–10pm. Viewing hours are Fridays and Saturdays,12–5pm, or by appointment. The exhibition will also be available for view as photos on our website daynightprojects.art (URL in bio), including the option to purchase artworks on our online store.
For more information on Surface of the Possible, the artists, or sales inquiries, please contact Steven L. Anderson at info@daynightprojects.art or call 404-623-7289.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Ashley Kauschinger is a light-based artist. Her work is interested in the intersections of art, poetry, history, identity, and material. She received her BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and her MFA from Texas Woman’s University. Her photographs have been exhibited and published internationally. Her work is in the collections of Vanderbilt University and the Sir Elton John Collection. Ashley is also a curator, editor, and community member. She has collaborated on projects with organizations such as Lenscratch, The Light Factory, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, MINT, and more. She also founded the online photography magazine Light Leaked that ran from 2012-2019. Ashley previously taught photography at the University of South Carolina and Maine Media Workshops + College. She is currently the Director of Experience at Atlanta Celebrates Photography.
Stephanie Dowda DeMer is an American photographer and experimental media artist. Her work excavates invisibility and creates space for reflection through phenomena, communion, and kinship. She was the inaugural Iowa Idea Fellow at The University of Iowa. She has also taught photography at ASU and VCU. DeMer holds an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a Hambidge Fellow, Idea Capital grantee, and her work has been published in Dialogue, Bad at Sports, MuseA, ArtsATL, BurnAway, among others. She has shown at White Space Gallery (Atlanta), Grizzly Grizzly (Philadelphia), MART (Dublin), and others. She is the Assistant Professor of Art, Photography/Video at Wesleyan College.
