A yellow shoe, two big ears, and a white-gloved hand are all recognizable parts of Mickey Mouse
New art installation in Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill pieces together iconic Disney character
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Where Shadows Cross: Jim Fiscus Creates Cinematic Photographs
A visual storyteller at heart, Jim Fiscus has pioneered a distinctive, cinematic style of photography that is capable of portraying complex narratives within a single frame. With an element of magic realism, his photographs elevate seemingly ordinary or overlooked places into extraordinary scenes full of unusual detail. Currently on view at the Georgia Museum of Art, the exhibition “Where Shadows Cross” features 13 elaborately constructed photographs that suggest stories through shadow and light.
Specializing in conceptual advertising portraiture, Fiscus’ professional career in photography has led him to produce images for household names such as Levi’s, Nike and Samsung over the last 30 years. His artful style is even interwoven across several streaming platforms, including Showtime, HBO, Netflix and Disney, through campaigns for “Dexter,” “Kidding,” “Billions,” “Penny Dreadful,” “Tidelands,” ”Homeland” and others.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the world nearly ground to a halt and commission work slowed down, Fiscus suddenly found himself with both the time and headspace necessary to focus on personal projects. He soon began embarking on a series of road trips with a camper and a friend, and his new exhibition shares several of the single-frame stories he created along the way.
“They’re all found locations populated with found people to illustrate a story that hopefully doesn’t really conclude for you,” he says.
Following the gravitational pull of places that embody a special sort of strangeness, Fiscus would observe how lighting naturally changed and interacted with objects within the setting over the course of time. Once he found a location that spoke to him, he’d return during peak lighting to direct real people—often strangers he had met serendipitously—within meticulously orchestrated scenes set with props.
“The light itself is a character, or a presence, within each of these stories, and so I’m not altering it, I’m waiting until the time when it’s beautiful,” says Fiscus. “Usually when it’s beautiful, it’s kind of dim… It’s a peculiar time of day.”
While a few of the images were captured by a single shot, many are the result of a bit of post-production wizardry. During photo shoots, Fiscus often takes multiple shots with different poses and lighting variations to create a library of images from which he can later fuse together a completed picture. Each title card includes a date and duration of time, ranging from one minute to well over an hour, to acknowledge the specific environmental conditions and process required to achieve the final image.
The exhibition’s title, “Where Shadows Cross,” carries multiple meanings. Because the locations are often lit with multiple sources of illumination—some visible as part of the scene and others hidden outside of the frame—shadows may criss-cross or subtly contradict each other. In addition to referencing his creative process and lighting technique, the idea of “Where Shadows Cross” also represents the connectedness between people and objects as their shadows come into contact with each other.
In his exhibition statement, Fiscus says, “A single source of light casts parallel shadows that can also overlap or even run away from each other. Multiple separate points of illumination make the shadows cross and form patterns. In these pictures the shadows partake in a game with all other shapes. Shadows are a seminal part of the composition. These forms ground the eyes or guide it forth to another area of the frame, to other shapes. In still images they reveal motion. The anchor point in this entire series is made of shadows, which keep the balance and bond everything together.
“The crossing of shadows embodies the time spent with a person—the days it takes to make these images. In a diner or under a streetlight, you cross shadows with somebody you just met, and you are getting to know them.
“Shadows stand for my attraction to people who live in places normally unseen. There are people left behind in the shadows against their will, but also those who chose to be there—an entire world we either avoid or experience only superficially. I choose the shadows.”
While shadows are an integral part of every image, Fiscus also puts a considerable amount of thought into creating shapes. Every line, angle and instance of symmetry feels intentional, not unlike hitting pause on a film with a well-crafted set.
Though Fiscus begins each shoot with an initial concept and structure in place, he remains open to improvisation and lets the image shift and unfold naturally through the participation of the subjects. Narratives are intentionally left ambiguous and inconclusive, which allows for multiple interpretations and the freedom to imagine both the past and future of depicted characters.
“I’m trying to create a framework that allows us to look at things differently,” says Fiscus.
Each scene is accompanied by a title card that shares intentions, narrative prompts and other interesting behind-the-scenes details. Several of the images also make art historical references, which provides another framework for interpretation.
“Where Shadows Cross,” which was curated by the museum’s Parker Curator of Russian Art, Asen Kirin, will remain on view through Oct. 8. Fiscus will offer an artist talk on Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. The exhibition will additionally be highlighted during 90 Carlton: Autumn, a quarterly reception hosted by Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art, on Sept. 15 from 6:30–8:30 p.m.
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Newark Arts Alliance exhibit showcases work from local book illustrator
A new exhibit at the Newark Arts Alliance showcases the work of a Newark-based children’s book illustrator.
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Currently, Dushyant is presenting his latest creations in the city, under the exhibition titled, The Illusion of Existence.
901 Now: Whitehaven native hosts art exhibit to spread joy
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A Whitehaven native is back home exhibiting his artwork, for the first time ever, to bring joy to the community through his pop-up exhibit that highlights celebrities, athletes, and local faces in the 901.
Art has always been an outlet for artist Mohamed Fofana to let his imagination flow.
“There was just freedom, I just wanted to create,” Fofana said. “It made me feel good, it allowed me to dream, it allowed me to connect to the world how I saw it.”
Fofana said his artwork tells his life story.
“When I was little and I first moved to America, Memphis, Tennessee, I didn’t speak English, I didn’t have many friends, I spent a lot of time drawing,” Fofana explained.
Now, those drawings, dating back to his younger years, that he once considered private, are now on display to the public.
“I want to do a show, to show people this artwork,” Fofana said. “To show, ‘look where I started and look where I am.’ I don’t know where I’m going but there’s progress in just going for something.”
The exhibit, S Journey Home, is a collection of his diverse artwork from 2003 to now. Using art as a segue to showcase experiences and highlighting the people of Memphis.
“My art is to tell people’s story that I know, people from where I’m from,” he said. “I wanted to do that so they could see themselves. In a sense, kind of validates their living experience. Like you matter, you can be art.”
In his journey home, he only has one mission.
“When I first started making my art, it was just for me. It wasn’t for money, it wasn’t for approval, it just made me happy,” Fofana said. “It brought me joy and when I started sharing a little bit with other people, I saw that it brought them joy as well. So it kind of shifted my perspective and how I saw my art and the purpose became to bring happiness to other people.”
Fofana’s work will be on display until Saturday at the Medicine Factory.
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Argentine artists back in Utah to create sculpture for Coalville
An artist who created a mural Hoytsville last year is back with a sculpture artist to create an interactive piece inspired by the city’s ledges and petroglyphs.
Second annual Sculpture on the Trail – The Long Island Advance
On Saturday, Aug. 19, CEED will be hosting their second annual Sculpture on the Trail event. Last year, they had 17 sculptors as well as poets who created original art. This year they …
Check out these stunning award-winning nature and wildlife photographs
Winners are chosen in the categories of Animal Behaviour, Animal Portraits, Conservation Focus, Creative Nature Photography and Wildscape & Animals in Their Habitat.
This year’s winners of the NatureinFocus Photography Awards were announced at the Nature inFocus Festival, held at the Jayamahal Palace in Bangalore, India.
ADVERTISEMENTFrom a heartwarming portrait of a Bonobo nurturing a mongoose pup, to a fierce battle for mating rights among male Nubian Ibexes in Israel’s Zin Desert, these images capture unique moments in natural history and address crucial conservation matters.
The winners were whittled down from a total of 24,000 submitted photographs from 1,500 photographers around the world.
Below is a stunning collection of some of the winning and highly-commended images from the competition.
Animal Behaviour winner: Shell I Eat You? by Sankhesh Dedhia
This stunning action shot captures a rarely-seen natural history moment, where the legendary Arrowhead of Ranthambhore fishes out an Indian Softshell Turtle from the lake for lunch. A tiger’s diet in the wild can be very varied as the felid can prey on pretty much everything on its turf, even a turtle, hence proved!
Animal Behaviour winner: A Love Like No Other by Afroj Sheikh
Caught in the crosshairs of a hungry leopard, the vulnerable mother and baby langur had little chance of survival. The hunt and the chase had led the predator and prey up a tree before the mother succumbed to the suffocating hold of the large cat. But in embracing death, the mother was able to save her offspring.
Animal Behaviour winner: A Sappy Alliance by Avinash PC
Symbiotic relationships are plenty in the natural world! But none as sappy and sugary as the mutualistic relationship between ants and aphids. Aphids are tiny, sap-sucking insects that are serious plant pests. They secrete a sugar-rich liquid called honeydew, a favourite food of ants! So much so that the ants protect these insects from other predators and even shepherd them to the healthiest parts of the plant to maintain a steady stream of sweet honeydew!
Conservation Focus winner: Cry Me a River by Hiren Pagi
The Australia Bushfire 2020 had devastating impacts on its wildlife. An estimated three billion animals were killed or displaced in the fires that season. The NGO ‘Vets For Compassion’ actively worked in the Mallacoota, Victoria region to find and rescue Koalas and other animals that were affected by the fires. They made their way past blockades, searching for animals in the most severely affected areas. In this photograph, veterinarian Chris Barton looks for survivors amidst a burned eucalyptus plantation.
Wildscape & Animals in Their Habitat winner: The Things You Do for Love by Amit Eshel
Looks like the set for the next Mission Impossible, but for Nubian Ibexes, the high-altitude rocky terrains are home. The vulnerable ibex species is known for many things–large semi-circular horns, the ability to scale mountains with ease and the territorial fights that males engage in during the rutting season. Displays of dominance begin with showing off their impressive horns. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s time to escalate by pushing and shoving the opponent and literally locking horns with them. Ibexes also stand on their hind legs as they get ready to strike.
Wildscape & Animals in Their Habitat winner: Worlds Apart by Dileep SS
Think Dubai and the first thing that comes to mind is architectural marvels that make the sky seem at arm’s reach. The tall buildings may be Dubai’s trademark visuals, but another world coexists alongside the dazzle, where wildlife thrives in the desert. The image juxtaposes these two worlds—the towering skyscrapers and the endless sands—a gentle reminder to look beyond the concrete.
Creative Nature Photography winner: All That Glitters Are Spores by Anirban Dutta
The bristles are the brightly-coloured protective hairs of the Slug Moth larvae. The glitter-like effect is because of mushrooms releasing spores. When the photographer found the larvae positioned right next to the sporing mushrooms, he did not want to miss the opportunity to capture the dramatic frame, and dramatic it is!
Creative Nature Photography winner: Symmetry in Mimicry by Arkaprava Ghosh
Mimicry is the highest form of flattery, they say. But in the animal world, it is among the best defence mechanisms. Here, Line-forest Skimmers position themselves aptly on the perennial Phanera vahlii creeper to resemble an inflorescence. Notice how the dragonflies have raised their abdomens in unison? Fooling a predator never looked this intricate.
ADVERTISEMENTAnimal Portraits winner: The Bonobo and His Pet by Christian Ziegler
The last great ape to be described, the Bonobo, is one of our closest living relatives. Here, a wild Bonobo who caught a mongoose pup is looking after it like a pet. He later released the animal unharmed. This behaviour has only been recorded once before by Prof Barbara Fruth at this site.
Animal Portraits winner: Inspector Booby by Suliman Alatiqi
Brown boobys spend a significant portion of their lives in the open ocean. Their clumsy nature on land earned them their namesake, derived from the Spanish word bobo, which means stupid or daft. They are excellent foragers of the sea and plunge-dive to feed on anything from anchovies and sardines to squid and shrimp. The photographer watched this individual dipping its head underwater at short intervals and got in position to capture a close-up portrait of the bird from the perspective of its fated prey.
Young Photographer winner: Raiders of Hives by Pranav Mahendru
In the dense forests of Satpura, a pair of oriental honey buzzards raid a beehive. These raptors hunt for food in beehives and wasp nests but, unlike what their name suggests, they prefer bee and wasp larvae over actual honey.
Young Photographer winner: Slender in the Night by Arnav Deshpande
Like the spiders they are commonly confused with, opiliones too have eight legs – mostly long and thin in contrast to their bodies. They are living fossils, the original ‘Daddy Longlegs’, having remained unchanged for millions of years. On a rainy night, the young photographer spotted this opilione sheltering in a crevice, raindrops glistening on its limbs.
Wildscape & Animals in Their Habitat special mention: The Land of Stripes by Amit Vyas
If the essence of Ranthambore could be captured in one frame, this would be it. Only once in a blue moon does the landscape become this misty at Ranthambore. And when a tiger chooses the opportune moment to show itself, it almost feels too good to be true. The historical architecture of the landscape, its species and the cerulean backdrop create an image that has magic written all over it.
ADVERTISEMENTWildscape & Animals in Their Habitat special mention: The Rarest of Them All by Sergey Gorshkov
One of the rarest cats in the world, the Amur leopard certainly makes you earn your sighting. The critically endangered felid faces several threats, including poaching for its fur. While suitable habitats are present across Russia and China, these leopards are threatened by the scarcity of prey animals.
Animal Behaviour special mention: It’s a Cat-eat-cat World by Karthik Mohan Iyer
It takes a moment before you go, ‘Woah!’. Though tigers and leopards share the same prey base, they tend to be non-confrontational and mostly stay away from one another. But when threatened by competition, tigers can eliminate other predators in their territory, such as leopards.
Animal Behaviour special mention: Lights Will Guide You Home by Merche Llobera
A pod of spinner dolphins dives back into the beautifully lit waters of the Pacific Ocean, creating this stunning scene of a cetacean avalanche. One of the dolphins can be seen gazing into the camera lens, adding a touch of curiosity and connection to the frame.
Young Photographer special mention: Gecko’s Garage by Vidyun Hebbar
The Andaman day gecko or the green emerald gecko is a bright-coloured gecko endemic to the Andaman Islands. The young photographer was on vacation when he spotted this shy creature lurking inside a light shade.
