James Harris Gallery is pleased to announce a solo show of color photographs by Laura Letinsky. The exhibition will showcase two distinct bodies of work that investigate domesticity and absence; the photographs from "Somewhere, Somewhere" depict empty rooms while "Hardly More than Ever" are images of tabletop still lifes. Acutely aware of the conventions of painting and photography, Letinsky engages these two distinct mediums to comment on both art history and the day to day familiarity of life.

In "Somewhere, Somewhere" (2003 to the present), Letinsky photographed unfurnished rooms in temporary states of transition left with remnants of activity from a previous occupant and untouched by a new inhabitant. Through compositional elements, cropping, and light, the photographs descriptive function becomes an emotive document revealing the subtle complexity of these once intimate spaces. For example, an interior of a hallway reveals open and closed doors with mirrors and reflections that complicate the architecture. Light shines through the window and off the floor where discarded wrapping tissue sits waiting to be swept away.

Letinsky's still life imagery “Hardly More than Ever” (1997-2004), is inspired by Dutch still life painting yet pushes the genre beyond its traditional intention. Her still lifes, taken in the morning light, are a residual record of previous gatherings, whether an intimate get-together or larger event. The leftovers become pieces of a vocabulary that construct a visual and emotive tableau distinctly human yet absent of people. Carefully arranged dirty plates, soiled linens, and crumpled napkins act as metaphors not only for the transience of personal interaction but also the fleeting cherished moments of our busy lives.

Laura Letinsky received her BFA from the University of Manitoba in 1986 and her MFA from Yale in 1991. She has exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work can be found in the collections of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Canadian Museum of Photography, Ottawa and others.