Exhibition Talk: Abram Kaplan

The Denison Museum welcomes Abram Kaplan, associate professor of environmental science, to discuss his exhibition titled “Lumen.”

Part of a photographic project that interrogates the idea of transition, the “Lumen” images are the result of many hours spent at the Conesville Power Plant near Coshocton, Ohio. The plant is a coal-fired facility providing electricity to approximately one million central Ohio consumers. The title “Lumen” is derived from the unit of measurement for light emitted by a source – a typical light bulb might produce about 500 lumens.

The exhibition focuses attention on the spatial, temporal, and conceptual dimensions of transition. A suite of images examine the conversion of potential to kinetic energy, stillness to motion, focusing on the massive industrial architecture of Conesville in relation to the forms of power it produces. A single large-scale work comprised of 81 unique portraits showcases hard hats worn by the plant’s workers. This piece explores anonymity and regulation in relation to personal identity and agency. “Lumen” thus sheds light on the people, processes, and machinery of a largely invisible world that nonetheless delivers the fundamental lifeblood of modern society.

The exhibit runs from October 24 until December 16 at the Denison Museum.The museum is open Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.