A Look Inside of the Dollhouse
From a distance, they look like paintings – but taking a closer look at the current exhibit in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery reveals that these images are much more. The exhibit is by Richard Tuschman, an artist and photographer from New York currently living in Poland. His work has been showcased in galleries all over the world and featured in many publications.
A Tuschman piece from Hopper Meditations next to the diorama he used to create the image.
Tuschman’s most popular work involves a diorama dollhouse with photographs of actual people composited together using Photoshop. This creates the illusion that the people are inside the home.
When Tuschman came to MTSU for a lecture and gallery reception on September 5th, he explained his method in further detail. In response to questions from the audience, he shared that his next project is a diorama inspired by his childhood home. The following afternoon, Tuschman conducted a session for students on how to build up their careers and execute projects.
Three different bodies of his work are currently on display in the Gallery. Hopper Meditations was inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper. Some are replica images of Hopper paintings done with Tuschman’s diorama photography technique, while others are original concepts inspired by Hopper’s style.
His Once Upon A Time In Kazimierz series was inspired by the town in Poland where his wife grew up and where Tuschman’s own ancestors once lived. This series tells the story of a Jewish family living in Kazimierz just before the events of the Holocaust. The images are grim and foreshadowing. Although Tuschman had a specific storyline in his head while creating the series, he prefers to let viewers imagine their own interpretations. The third display in the exhibit includes images from an assignment for Departures Magazine. This commission project was to create a haute couture piece, in which he collaborated with other photographers and designers.
Tuschman explaining his artistic method to the audience during his lecture.
Photography Professor Jackie Heigle has been the curator for the Baldwin Photographic Gallery since Fall of 2017. She chose Tuschman’s exhibit to appeal to a broad audience of interests. Tuschman was clearly inspired by many other artists when creating his own original work, and she hopes that students will be inspired by knowing that as well.
Tuschman’s exhibit will be on display in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery until September 28, 2018. The gallery is located on the second floor of the Bragg Building and is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Next month’s exhibit will feature photography related to shadows, to go along with the spooky vibe of October. For more updates on current and upcoming exhibits, follow the Baldwin Photographic Gallery page on Facebook.