Opening for “Blue Angels”
Maurene Cooper will be on hand to discuss her exhibition and to present live demonstrations of the ambrotype photographic process, which involves capturing an image by exposing a chemically treated metal plate to light. Light refreshment will be provided.
This event is free and open to the public!
Ambrotype photograph by Maurene Cooper
Arcadia Exhibitions is pleased to present “Maurene Cooper: Blue Angels” from October 16, 2025 through October 4, 2026 in the Rosedale Gallery.
“Blue Angels”, is a series of collodion-based portraits undertaken in 2017 in collaboration with the culturally diverse drag (Queen & King) communities in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami. The work is concerned with questions about the visual representation of LGBTQ+ persons from the 19th century. By using the popular image making technology of the Victorian era, Cooper complicates the social and visual history — giving face to a real but imagined community. The prints presented in this exhibition include one-of-a-kind ambrotypes on black glass as well as salt prints, an early form of paper-based printing.
