Viewpoint Photographic Art Center is pleased to present the work of sister and brother Brittany Murphy and Camden Hosea-Small in the Step Up Gallery beginning January 11, 2012. Both of them are presenting new visions in still-life photography, Murphy finding and bringing out the beauty in everyday objects, Hosea-Small exploring the sensual qualities of the smoke rising from burning incense.

Brittany Murphy asks: “How many times do you look at a cheese grater and think of it as magnificent, grand, or majestic, or perhaps thought of a toothbrush as sensual? We go through our daily lives using commonplace items without giving a second thought towards what they truly look like or the details that make them up. Our main concerns are based only on their specified capabilities. These objects can have an immense capacity for beauty if the barrier between ordinary object and statuesque form can be broken.”

With the use of a flashlight, darkness, and a black backdrop, Murphy uses the technique of “painting with light” to visually erase portions of an object while illuminating others. Through this method she attempts to create a presence for something that would, in normal light, be considered unimpressive.

Brittany Murphy recently graduated from CSU Sacramento with a B.A. in photography. Her younger brother, Camden Hosea-Small, has followed in his sister’s footsteps, studying photography at Sierra College. Abstract forms and structure have always fascinated him. At Sierra College he was introduced to techniques for capturing images of smoke trails. Setting up a black backdrop, he used a narrow-beam strobe to sidelight the smoke produced from burning incense. After capturing the smoke-trail images, he would decide whether to leave the images as black and white or colorize them.

Hosea-Small reflects on his work with smoke: “No two smoke trail photographs are ever the same, thereby allowing an infinite number of images to be created. The sensual qualities of these images are what draws me to them. Soft and subtle curves and shading create mystical and fanciful pictures. Many of the photographs allow the viewer to see other forms within the smoke trails. I think of it as similar to using your imagination to see shapes in cloud formations.”

Both brother and sister have exhibited their work extensively and both have had similar success in competitions as well as publication of their images in current photography magazines.

Camden Hosea-Small—Candy on a Stick

Camden Hosea-Small—Duality

Brittany Murphy—Cheese Grater

Brittany Murphy—Whisk