The Creative Photograph in Archaeology
From the Traveling Photographers of the 19th Century to the Creative Photography of the 20th Century

July 2 - August 1, 2008

Organized by the Benaki Museum, Athens, in collaboration with Fairfield University, Fairfield, Conn.

Curated by Costis Antoniadis, Professor of Photography, Technological Educational Institution of Athens

Under the Auspices of The Consulate General of Greece in New York

Herbert List, 1937	Goesta Hellner, 1980
Frederic Boissonnas, 1908	Socratis Mavrommatis, 1980

Kouros Gallery is pleased to present The Creative Photograph in Archaeology: From the Traveling Photographers of the 19th Century to the Creative Photography of the 20th Century. Under the auspices of The Consulate General of Greece in New York, this unprecedented exhibition is curated by Costis Antoniadis, professor of photography at the Technological Educational Institution of Athens, and organized by the Benaki Museum, Athens, in collaboration with Fairfield University Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

A select group of famous photographers is represented, including James Robertson, Dimitrios Konstantinou, William Stillman, Petros Moraitis, Konstantinos Athanasiou, Anton Silberhuber, Frederic Boissonnas, Walter Hege, Herbert List, Goesta Hellner and Socratis Mavrommatis.

The collection includes 76 dramatic black and white framed prints featuring Greek antiquities that have been produced from high resolution scans of the original negatives. The exhibition is divided into five units that span 150 years and visually portray the bold story of the delicate balance between documentation and creative vision in photographs with antiquities as the subject -- from the first photographic attempts of the early travelers in the 19th century through the sophisticated work of the late 20th to early 21st century. The photographs will be displayed on both floors throughout Kouros Gallery.

Mr. Antoniadis explained, "We are very fortunate to be able to display photographs of the finest quality, as the photographers would have demanded." He continued, "In organizing the exhibition we followed the work of photographers that attempted to impose a new approach over a long period of time. We made choices that serve two purposes: the abilities of archaeological photography to emphasize its artistic contribution and the photographer's ability to combine his own view of the same information."

In discussing the decision to use photographs of exclusively Greek antiquities, Mr. Antoniadis noted, "Each place has its own fascination, each site is different and these differences clearly affected each photographer's aesthetic and emotional approach." He added, "Greece is the only place where all the photographers represented in the exhibition worked and, clearly, location and culture are shared by all. We can see vividly how each photographer's individual artistic approach differs from one another."

The Creative Photograph in Archaeology marks the first collaboration between Kouros Gallery, Fairfield University, and the Benaki Museum.

An opening reception will be held Wednesday, July 2, 2008, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Two fully illustrated catalogues are available.