Rosewood Gallery in Kettering, Ohio is pleased to announce Lori Kella, Erie: Lost and Found. This FotoFocus-sponsored exhibition is on view in-person from October 5 through November 13, 2020, as well as here in our virtual gallery.

In Erie: Lost and Found, Lori Kella explores historical, environmental, and personal connections to her home on the Great Lakes. Kella reimagines the shoreline of Lake Erie by examining the fragility and resilience of this complex ecosystem through constructing tabletop dioramas out of everyday materials. The artificial landscapes, created from paper, painted plastic and translucent glycerin, record observations of different species nestled into the landscape. Once constructed, Kella uses lighting to dramatically transform these tableaus, bringing to the surface an amalgamation of familiar places, unexplored wilderness and pure fiction. The resulting images, presented as large-scale photographs, hint at the ephemeral nature of these environments while preserving them as an imperfect record that ponders both absence and rediscovery.

Coupled with the dioramic photographs, Kella also catalogues native species of the Great Lakes that are endangered or experiencing habitat shifts. Created from vellum and translucent papers, "Ghost Species" represents a variety of fish, plant life and other lake creatures, which are then photographed and presented as prints. Kella offers contemplation on what may be, or is already lost, suggesting that paper replicas may eventually be the only lasting reference to the once-grand Great Lakes.

Together, these photographic works investigate the realm of loss in the face of pervasive environmental threats, while also offering a moment of reflection and a renewed discovery of the natural world.

The exhibition, originally scheduled to be part of FotoFocus Biennial 2020, will still proceed with FotoFocus support despite the cancellation of the Biennial at large.

Kella will also offer a virtual workshop on November 7, 2020. Participants will learn to create subjects from her Ghost Species. Materials for the workshop will be available for pick-up at Rosewood Arts Centre. Preregistration is required.

Download the gallery guide