Joe Baltz


Governors State University is pleased to present Narratives of the Secret Darkroom by Joe Baltz. The exhibit explores the relationship between the language of visual reality recorded by Black & White film and the language of inner emotional experience. He uses the silver gelatin process to produce B&W postcards which are sent through the US Postal Service. The Postcard and text amplifies the connection of his personal world through photos and text. Baltz believes that images often call forth a secret story and stories often hold a secret image. Narratives of the Secret Darkroom is a two year photo project that allowed him to present 30 individual post card recipients a unique collection of personal observations and reminiscences captured on film and in text.

Joe Baltz’s photos and cards will be exhibited in a solo show at Governors State University, Visual Arts Gallery E-1580. The exhibition will open on November 2, 2010 and run through November 10. The opening reception is Thursday, November 4th from 5:00-8:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Baltz is a teacher of Photography at Joliet Central High School and lives in Joliet, IL.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have been one of the recipients of this Art Gallery by mail - yes, that's correct - U.S. Postal Mail arriving in our mail box, not an e-mail blast in an attachment - that Joe Baltz has presented to the recipients individually and yet collectively. Each one is a new little adventure into our world and Mr. Baltz's personal world. His writing is as beautiful and pointed as his photography and he commingles the two with great finesse of both crafts to create his art.

When I and my wife realized we were beginning to receive these art mailings on a regular basis -that it wasn't just a sometime thing - I told him I hope to see these photos and brief stories in a book someday.

I hope that proves to be true. And I hope he continues to mail more.

My wife and I were actually looking at several of the postcard collection the other day and said to each other how much we will miss them if they stopped.

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