Sara Angelucci’s photographs in the show Aviary are both real and imagined. They exist now as physical prints, but they also point to a moment frozen in time, just like the taxidermy birds that flank them.

To borrow terminology from Roland Barthes, how can photographs create a “real unreality”? [1]

Let’s discuss this at the first ever Halsey Talk, a series of roundtable discussions on intriguing concepts in art. While we will facilitate the conversation, there are no other guidelines. Along with Sara’s work, we will look at Thierry de Duve’s 1978 essay “Time Exposure and Snapshot: The Photograph as Paradox” as a springboard for discussion—but there are no rules or expectations. It is free and open to the public, and students, teachers, artists, philosophers, art-enthusiasts, and art-unenthusiasts are welcome to attend.

[1] Roland Barthes, “Rhetoric of the Image,” Image/Music/Text, trans. Stephen Heath, New York, Hill and Wang, 1977: 44.

Halsey Talks are an ongoing series of roundtable discussions on intriguing concepts in art. While they may take advantage of exhibitions on view at the Halsey Institute, they are open-ended in nature. As a platform for a deeper understanding and discussion of fascinating ideas in art, Halsey talks are open to all.

For more information, contact Bryan Granger at grangerbw@cofc.edu.