China: Through the Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872 Exhibition at Northridge Art Galleries

California State University, Northridge Art Galleries is pleased to present the exhibition China: Through the Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872. On View: October 22 – December 10, 2016.

Scottish photographer and travel writer John Thomson (1837-1921) first travelled to Asia in 1862, where he set up a professional photographic studio. The local culture and people of Asia fascinated him, and in 1868 he settled in Hong Kong. Thomson’s extensive trips throughout the regions of China covered nearly 5,000 miles and yielded a wide variety of images and themes, including landscapes, people, architecture, domestic and street scenes.

Thomson used the wet collodion process, a popular photographic method that made exposures on glass plates. The process had to be done in complete darkness, on location, in a portable darkroom tent, and required travelling with a large number of crates and bottles of volatile chemicals. The range, depth, and aesthetic quality of Thomson’s photographic vision are all the more remarkable given that his journeys took him through difficult terrain. Thomson made photographs that capture the land, the people, and their daily lives with beauty and sensitivity, becoming one of the most influential photographers of the 19th century and a pioneer of photojournalism.

Opening Reception: October 22, 4-7pm

Gallery hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday

More information: http://www.csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/art-galleries