PORTLAND – The University of New England’s Art Gallery will feature “Going Forward, Looking Back – Practicing Historic Photographic Processes in the 21st Century,” on UNE’s Portland Campus Nov. 17 through Jan.  31, 2010.

The photographic process has gone through one metamorphosis after another since 1839. However, almost every one of the 19th- century historic processes has its modern day aficionado.
In this exhibition, the general public, photographers, scholars and technicians, and the just plain curious are invited to explore over 150 works by 24 contemporary artists from the New England states – all of whom are committed to exploring 19th century photographic processes and techniques to make images. The results, as curated by Stephen Halpert, are an extraordinary array and breadth of visual experiences, not to mention surprises.

Today, many fine art photographers all over New England are making beautiful photographs using historic processes dating back to the earliest days of this artform in 1839. Photographs capturing the realities of our lives – portraits, travels, landscapes can be made using tintypes, cyanotypes, palladiums, pinhole, ambrotypes, argyrotype and photogravure, to mention just a few of these techniques.

The following events are scheduled:

Nov. 21: “Serendipity & Exquisite Manipulation” lecture by Frances Scully Osterman, 3 to 4  p.m., CHP lecture hall. Tickets are $10 at the door, followed by an opening reception in the Art Gallery from  4 to 6 p.m. Tim Whelan, fine art photography bookseller, will offer books for sale.

Dec. 5, 3 to 5 p.m.: Artists will demonstrate their historic photographic processes in the UNE Art Gallery. A corner will be set up where artists will take pictures of attendees, and in many cases process the photographs, as well.

Jan. 30: Lecture by Brenton Hamilton on “19th-Century Photographic Processes and their Practitioners,” 3 to 4 p.m., in the CHP lecture hall. Tickets are $10 at the door, followed by an opening reception in the art gallery from 4 to 6 p.m., with demonstrations of historic photographic processes by participating artists.