Author: mblum6180_l6d6qy

NATURE AND MACHINE
In this exhibition, Matthew explores aspects of Nature and Machine. By using various processes such as palladium, cyanotype, and silver gelatin,
he matches the feeling of each subject to the image.
“With my photography, I prefer traditional ways of photography printing. Depending on the subject, I’ll use the best suited camera as a brush to capture the scene. Once captured each photograph is hand-printed individually in the darkroom.”
Allentown native Matthew Blum is a visual artist who has exhibited in prestigious galleries around the Lehigh Valley. He got his start in the arts by working on local feature movies. While working in film-making he did
a range of tasks such as editing and director of photography. From film-making, his interest in still photography developed with an eye for storytelling.
His exploration into film began with a modest 35mm
darkroom. Later that darkroom set up grew to large format 4 X 5. Today,his preferred printing processes include palladium,cyanotype,and silver gelatin.

December 1, 2022
Nature and Machine — Featured in The Morning Call
November 15, 2022
In November 2022, The Morning Call covered my exhibition Nature and Machine, shown at the Rotunda Gallery.
The exhibition presented 30 photographs created using traditional and historical photographic processes, including palladium, cyanotype, and silver gelatin printing. The work explored contrasts between organic forms and engineered objects, emphasizing material, texture, and craft.
Highlighted pieces included Iris, printed in palladium, and 1956 Lincoln Premiere, produced as a silver gelatin print. The show invited viewers to experience photography as a physical, hands-on process rather than a purely digital medium.
Natures and Machine opened on November 13, 2022, and remained on view through December 21.
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Photo: April Gamiz/The Morning Call
November 15, 2022
LV Arts Salon — The Many Mediums of Storytelling
https://www.wdiy.org/show/lehigh-valley-arts-salon/2022-10-18/matt-blum-kate-hughes-and-the-many-mediums-of-storytelling-lv-arts-salon
In October 2022, I appeared on LV Arts Salon, hosted by Silagh White, alongside actor and comedian Kate Hughes. The episode explored how artists across different disciplines approach storytelling, whether they’re working visibly in the spotlight or supporting other creatives behind the scenes.
The conversation looked at how photography, performance, publishing, and collaboration intersect in the Lehigh Valley arts community, and how stories take shape differently depending on medium, audience, and intent.
During the episode, we also discussed my photography exhibition Nature and Machine, which opened shortly afterward at the Rotunda Gallery. The show examined the relationship between organic forms and engineered objects through traditional photographic processes, and ran from November 13 through December 21, 2022.
Source: LV Arts Salon — “Matt Blum, Kate Hughes, and the Many Mediums of Storytelling”
(Published October 18, 2022)
October 10, 2022
Fig Fall 2022
A photographer’s take on the modern world.
“Matthew Blum’s photography is a combination of machination and the sublime; a rusty nail awash in ripples of soft rose petals in a day-old city sidewalk puddle.” His work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries around the Lehigh Valley and in printed publications.
What makes Blum’s work so unique is that he follows the traditional ways of photography printing. Depending on the subject Blum will use the camera best suited as his brush to capture the scene. Once captured each photo is individually printed by hand in his darkroom. The traditional historical printing processes he employs range from palladium, cyanotype, silver gelatin, ambrotype, and others.
By utilizing traditional printing techniques, his photos have a unique, timeless quality that appeals to art lovers everywhere! Follow Matthew @mblum6180 for new, and available prints.
September 20, 2022
Gallery View: ‘Paradoxes of Time’ photographed
Matthew Blum showcased his palladium print, “Winter Tree,” in the “Photographic Paradoxes of Time” exhibition at Arthaus at the Mezz, blending modern digital capture with the historic palladium process. His work, capturing a timeless snowy landscape, reflects his exploration of photography’s past and present. Alongside his contributions to the exhibition, Blum is known for his work as a cinematographer and mixed-media artist. The show, which highlighted various interpretations of time through photography, concluded on February 5.
February 12, 2022
Paradoxes of Time — Group Photography Exhibition
In February 2022, Lehigh Valley Press reviewed Paradoxes of Time, a group photography exhibition shown at Arthaus at the Mezz. The exhibition featured work by photographers Gary Asteak, Matthew Blum, and Peter Gourniak, and was curated by Deborah Rabinsky.
The exhibition explored different interpretations of time through photographic process, subject matter, and presentation. Gary Asteak’s work documented life in Krapivna, a small rural village in Russia that appeared largely untouched by modernity. His photographs, created during an Earthwatch project, focused on the daily lives, traditions, and quiet resilience of the villagers.
My contribution included Winter Tree (2020), a palladium print depicting a snow-covered tree frozen in place. Although the image originated digitally, it was printed using a palladium process dating back to the 1890s, creating a visual tension between contemporary capture and historical technique.
Peter Gourniak’s photographs examined industrial environments, particularly abandoned sections of the Bethlehem Steel plant. His work combined digital photography with experimental printing methods on aluminum and other materials, emphasizing texture, surface, and abstraction. Several of his pieces intentionally avoided titles, allowing viewers to bring their own interpretations to the work.
Together, the exhibition highlighted how photographic tools—both old and new—can be used to reflect on memory, industry, tradition, and the passage of time.
The exhibition concluded on February 5, 2022.
Read the original article by Ed Courrier at Lehigh Valley Press: https://www.lvpnews.com/20220211/gallery-view-paradoxes-of-time-photographed
February 11, 2022