Santa Fe, N.M.—September 7 , 2016—The Photography Department at
Santa Fe University of Art and Design (SFUAD) is proud to announce an exhibition entitled “Drifting Away/Río Abajo” by Colombian visual artist Erika Diettes. The exhibition, which is part of SFUAD’s Artists for Positive Social Change™ series, opens Sept. 16 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Atrium Gallery at the Marion Center for Photographic Arts. Diettes will speak on campus Sept. 17 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Tipton Hall.
Diettes’s work honors the victims of armed conflict between the government, guerillas (FARC) and drug lords in Colombia. In this series, images of artifacts of the disappeared––a shirt, a shoe or a pair of eyeglasses––are photographed in water and printed on huge plates of glass that are framed and placed on the ground like large-scale tombstones.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the university will host a conversation between Diettes and Kate Ware, curator of photography at the New Mexico Museum of Art, on Sept. 17 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Tipton Hall on the SFUAD campus. Diettes will then sign copies of her book
Memento Mori: Testament to Life. The event is free and open to the public.
Diettes is a Colombian visual artist and social anthropologist whose work focuses on the deeply personal yet universal effects of political violence and injustice. Her work is part of the permanent collection of major museums, including the Museo Nacional in Bogatá and Museo de Antioquia in Colombia and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It has been featured at the Fotofest Biennial, the Festival de la Luz in Buenos Aires, the Ballarat Foto Biennale in Australia, and in an exhibit at CENTER, Santa Fe, N.M.
The Atrium Gallery at the Marion Center for Photographic Arts and Tipton Hall are located on the SFUAD campus at 1600 St. Michael’s Drive. The exhibition can be viewed weekdays between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. through January 14.
Launched in 2011, Artists for Positive Social Change explores a specific theme relevant to society and the work of artists who push the creative boundaries through a university-wide series of events, courses, lectures and performances.
About SFUAD’s Photography Department
The Photography Department at Santa Fe University of Art and Design offers a comprehensive education in the theory, techniques, history and ethics of photography. This base, integrated with a strong foundation in other visual and liberal arts, provides students with the knowledge and perspective they need to pursue photography as a creative professional. The program, housed in the Anne and John Marion Center for Photographic Arts, encompasses both analog and digital technologies, giving students the chance to work in exemplary traditional and alternative process darkrooms and a state-of-the-art digital facility. Students also have access to the Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Library, an outstanding resource on the history, aesthetics and technology of photography.
More details here.
About Santa Fe University of Art and Design:
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an accredited institution located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of the world’s leading centers for art and design. The university offers degrees in business, contemporary music, creative writing, digital arts, graphic design, film, performing arts, photography and studio art. Faculty members are practicing artists who teach students in small groups, following a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that combines hands-on experience with core theory and prepares graduates to become well-rounded, creative, problem-solving professionals. SFUAD boasts an international student body and opportunities to study abroad, encouraging students to develop a global perspective on the arts. Santa Fe University of Art and Design is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission
