‘In Focus: Electric!’ Explores Artificial Light Through Photographs at The Getty

Rachael McDonald

Light shapes the reality of not only human life but of all existence. And yet, since the advent of electricity humans have been manipulating light. Often taken for granted by many of us, the effects of electricity are not often lost when it comes to the art of photography. Displaying works from the Getty’s permanent collection “In Focus: Electric!” exposes the ways in which electricity has shaped and transformed our lives.

Revealing both the opportunities as well as the hindrances that our relationship with electricity has afforded us, “In Focus: Electric!” presents us with a layered perspective on our relationship with electricity throughout contemporary life. Through juxtaposing historic photographs from the Getty’s collection that capture and uncover the enchantment and allure of artificial illumination with recent artworks reflecting the turbulence and anxiety of life on the grid, the fine line between innovation and unconscious dependency is exposed.

The gallery delves into four layers of our relationship with electricity, each with intricacies ripe with paradoxes of their own. The first space in the gallery entitled “Darkness Made Light” showcases work capturing scenes shaped by artificial light with some works revealing the beauty of illuminated scenes and landscapes while others approach illuminated scenery with a more critical eye, addressing the infiltration of light pollution on a landscape. The next space, “Lightbulb Moments,” exhibits works depicting the lightbulb and the lamp as symbols of innovation offering a nod to the shift from incandescent lighting to newer designs. Aptly titled “Hardwired,” the third space explores the consequences of our expanded dependencies on electricity and light portraying the oversaturation of cables and wires in cities as well as the environmental repercussions of electrical infrastructure. “Electrical Experimentation,” the final space, delves into the moral gray areas of research testing and scientific discovery.

A free tour of the exhibit led by the assistant curator of photographs, Mazie Harris, will be available for visitors on Aug. 19 at 2:30 p.m. The Getty will also be featuring an accompanying free discussion about artificial illumination on May 29 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

In Focus: Electric! will be on view through Aug. 28 at the Getty Center.