January 14 – March 26, 2017 at the Arthur Ross Gallery

Some photographers capture landscapes so vividly that the images visually convey a sense of sound. In the same regard, sound artists have the capacity to create audio works that evoke a sense of place. The exhibition Landscape / Soundscape explores this desire to unite image and sound through compelling pairings of photography and soundscapes. Within the context of the exhibition, landscape is used in its broadest sense, from sweeping natural landscapes to cityscapes to abstractions. Likewise, the corresponding soundscapes are commissioned from a broad spectrum of sound artists and musicians, from those working with field recordings and electronics to noted instrumental performers. 

Photographs in the exhibition represent a range of landscapes, from expansive natural vistas to cityscapes. The following photographers are included: Lucien Clergue, Elliott Erwitt, Ralph Gibson, Clarence John Laughlin, Erica Lennard, Andrew Moore, Eliot Porter, Karen Riedener, Jerry Uelsmann, and Minor White. In tandem with Landscape / Soundscape, a juried selection of student projects will be presented on the Gallery’s digital interactive kiosk.  

A diverse selection of accomplished sound artists from throughout the United States and UK were invited to create soundscapes in response to photographs from Penn’s University Art Collection. These sound artists include: Sarah Angliss, Michael Roy Barker, Olivia Block, Nadia Botello, La Cosa Preziosa (Susanna Caprara), Marinna Guzy, Eugene Lew, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Christopher Sean Powell and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. 

Heather Gibson Moqtaderi, Associate Curator and Collections Manager at Penn’s University Art Collection, has curated Landscape / Soundscape along with Eugene Lew, Director of Sound & Music Technology and Lecturer in Electronic Music & Recording at the University of Pennsylvania. The exhibition opens at the Arthur Ross Gallery on Saturday, January 14, 2017. The Gallery is located at 220 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, and is free and open to the public. HOURS: Weekdays 10:00am – 5:00pm; Weekends 12:00pm – 5:00pm. Closed Mondays. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.