Step into the whirlwind of creativity and precision with Matthew Blum’s time-lapse “changeover” video, a glimpse into the transformative setup for the 2020 Juried Show at Bethlehem House Gallery. Directed and curated by Executive Director/Curator Ward Van Haute, the video reveals the meticulous process of arranging an art exhibit. From bare walls to a harmonious display of artistry, witness the gallery evolve in preparation for an exceptional showcase of talent.
Category: Art
The Baum School of Art – Windows to the Past: Lehigh County
“Windows to the Past: Lehigh County” was an exhibition by Matthew Blum that ran from October 24 to November 21, 2019. Blum’s photography brought to life the historic edifices of Lehigh County, places etched in time and registered as national treasures. Utilizing a palette of historical photo printing techniques, from cyanotype to palladium, he captured the essence of structures like the Burnside Plantation and Americus Hotel. The show was not just a visual journey but an educational experience, culminating in a workshop and closing reception that engaged and enlightened the community.
Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery’s Holiday Show
The Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery’s Holiday Show, spanning from October 18, 2019, to January 11, 2020, highlighted the artistry of InVision Festival artist Matthew Blum. His ambrotypes, with their spectral elegance, framed historic landmarks in a dialogue between past and present. Blum’s pieces offered a unique view through the ambrotype process, standing out in the collection as profound meditations on time and architecture.
Billboard
“Billboard” (2019) presents a gripping tale where desperation meets determination. Cinematographer Matthew Blum captures this narrative with a visual style that reflects the film’s high stakes and dark humor. The tagline sets the stage: “Times are tough, listener-ship is down and Casey needs to come up with a plan to save his radio station, WTYT 960, and fast!” In a bold move, Casey launches a billboard sitting contest, promising “$960,000 and a mobile home” to the last one standing. Through Blum’s lens, the precariousness of the contestants’ elevated plight and the radio station’s future come vividly to life.
Glass Portraits – Ambrotypes at Artsfest 2015
In 2015, “Glass Portraits,” an ambrotype photography exhibition by Matthew Blum, offered a stirring collection of portraits that captured the very essence of each subject using the wet plate collodion process. Dating back to the 1850s, this time-honored technique produces images with a haunting depth and a timeless quality unmatched by digital photography. Every portrait was a one-of-a-kind piece, showcasing not just the subject’s likeness but also the distinctive quirks of the medium—its unpredictability and the fascinating ways it responds to light and chemicals.
Presented in the Alternative Gallery at Artsfest 2015, “Glass Portraits” invited viewers to reflect on the permanence of glass, the fluidity of time, and the profound simplicity of the human face. It served as a powerful reminder of the enduring value of traditional photographic methods, which connect us to history in a tangible, visceral way. Through “Glass Portraits,” Blum not only preserved a nearly lost art form but also breathed new life into it, inspiring contemporary audiences to appreciate the beauty of this old-world craft.
Angels of Death
“Angels of Death” is a captivating photo series that weaves the inevitability of life’s end with the vibrancy of its passing moments. The collection showcases a theatrical display of final moments, depicted not with somber tones but with a playful acknowledgment of the reaper’s subtle integration into life’s most mundane scenes.
The lens captures the essence of these angels, adorned in life-affirming reds and deep blacks, with each image celebrating the bold embrace of the inevitable. From a mischievous smile in a timeless barbershop, a charming pose by a vintage car, to a morbidly amusing scenario in a cozy kitchen, the angels prompt viewers to find a spark of joy in the face of destiny.
The “Angels of Death” series is an invitation to perceive the final act not as a mournful farewell but as a jubilant release, a celebration of life’s last grand performance. It’s an encouragement to toast to the finale, and enjoy the dance with the end in its most playful and whimsical iteration.