A new interactive photography exhibit at the Gibson Center for the Arts at Washington College gives new—and positive—meaning to the phrase “phone it in.” The exhibit, “Photography Exposed,” provides QR Codes, or “Quick Read” matrix barcodes, that can be scanned by any iPhone, Android phone or new generation iPod (those with cameras).
While anyone can enjoy the 50 photographs in the exhibit for the beauty and interest of the images themselves, the QR Codes open up a world of additional information, from the techniques the photographer used to the story or emotions behind a shot.
Viewers with the requisite smart devices can install free QR scanning applications, then read the barcodes next to each photograph to access a video or text message from the artist.
The curator of the new exhibit, which officially opens during a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, January 31, is Brian Palmer, Manager of the Multimedia Production Center at Washington College. Most of the images were created in workshops or photography club trips Palmer led, or by students in Art Department classes including Digital Imaging, Fundamentals of Design, and The Creative Process. The subject matter ranges from New York City streetscapes to fashion close-ups and light-paintings taken with longer time exposures.
Palmer created a video tour of the exhibit, with a demonstration of how to use the QR codes, and posted it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3UZnhAn8CA
The exhibit will be mounted in the William Frank Visual Arts Hallway, adjacent to the Kohl Gallery in the Gibson Center for the Arts, through Sunday, February 27.
Photos: Top, an image from the exhibit. Below left, a QR Code that, when scanned, opens an invitation to the exhibit. At right, the "Snappy" icon curator Brian Palmer created for the show.
