Opens on the Summer Solstice at Day & Night Projects, 585 Wells St. SW, ATL, 30312, 7-10 pm
Surface of the Possible is a two-person exhibition by Ashley Kauschinger and Stephanie Dowda DeMer that meditates on hope, loss, ritual, and transformation. For one year, the two artists 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 the moon's surface through the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images. DeMer focused her gaze on the forces of the moon while Kauschinger found transformation through the sun.