Jarred Walker
In Motion Staff Writer
Through Feb. 2, the Hosseini Center’s Southeast Museum of Photography’s is featuring “The Shuttle,”a photographic exhibition that’s out of this world.
The showcase has about 70 photographs, mainly from 1981 to 1986, of NASA’s revolutionary technological innovations. Included in the show are captivating pictures of the ill-fated Challenger during sunrise in a beautiful landscape shot, the damaged flame trenches from rocket launches over the years and Discovery’s interior/exterior and launch sequence.
The Challenger shots are especially eerie and interesting, due to the fact that so much hard work and effort went into the project, but as most of us know, the tragic ending was soon to come.
All photographs were taken by three photographers: John Chakeris, Roland Miller and Michael Soluri. James Pearson, director of the museum, mentioned how the idea for this came three years ago when Miller put his book, titled “Abandoned in Place,” on Pearson’s desk.
“I thought a NASA show would be really great because we’re just down the road from the Kennedy Space Center and everybody loves space content,” said Pearson. “I’m getting a lot more feedback on this exhibit than I do from most of our exhibits. It hits home.
“We all grew up looking at the Space Shuttle and marveling at it. It’s a feat of human accomplishment and it really resonates with people.”
Pearson explained that each photographer took a different approach at capturing their subject and how that was another reason why the idea was finally all systems go this year.
Chakeris will speak at an appearance on campus sometime in the near future and Soluri will be visiting in December. Miller is scheduled will be at the SMP on Jan. 24. Miller will be signing his book and all will be giving discussions on the project.
Shannon O’Regan, a work-study student whose part-time job is at the museum, is enjoying the showcase saying, “The size of the images and approach each of the photographers had taken with the images that they shot is exquisite. Some of them are very abstract, sequential and earthy. It’s really cool to see the perspective of three different photographers actually photographing and capturing a very similar subject. We have gotten a lot of regulars that visit the museum, but also a lot of students, children and enthusiasts. “
The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, except on major holidays. Call 386-506-4475 for information. All discussions are wheelchair-accessible, free and open to the public.