About

The Shadows Created by Things. The Things Created by Shadows.



Ophelia, 2007

About the Artist

Harlow Tighe’s distinctive, large-scale photograms have garnered attention since she began exhibiting in 2005. She graduated in Italian Literature and Art History from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, and then studied traditional photography at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts, Dijon, France. After completing a masters degree in Art History at the University of Texas at Austin, she worked in the Photography Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where she collaborated on numerous international photography exhibitions. Working with photography from an historical perspective was fundamental to her formation as an artist. Her interest in early photographic processes led to her exclusive commitment to the photogram mediumHer works can be found in public and private collections worldwide. She lives and works in Milan, Italy, or wherever the sun takes her.

About the Artwork

Photograms differ from their near cousin, the photograph, by the nature of their production, which consists of placing an object on a photosensitive surface and exposing it to light, without the mediation of camera, negative or optics of any kind. The photogram registers the object’s contact with the surface, as well the gradations of its cast shadow, creating a unique image on a one-to-one scale. Despite method and experience, a certain spontaneity and element of surprise are intrinsic to the process, and part of its frustration and delight.

Unless otherwise indicated, each work is a unique photogram on 100% cotton Fabriano Artistico paper. Chemically, the images are modernized kallitypes, less toxic and more stable than the original formula. The images are exposed with sunlight, artificial UV light, or sometimes a combination of both.