Photo courtesy of Dr. Terri Bright
Starting Feb. 6, Furman’s art department will showcase the work of one of its own — Associate Professor of Art Terri Bright. The exhibition, titled “Beautiful Ruins,” is a collection of 25 colored images Bright took on travel excursions and while on sabbatical in Florida and will be on display in the Thompson Art Gallery in the Roe Art Building until March 6.
Prior to teaching at Furman, Bright studied at Connecticut College, where she first began studying oil painting as well as graphic design. After her graduation, she moved to New York, where she first discovered her passion for photography.
Though she had mostly been mastering the art of oil painting, Bright often felt isolated in her studio and thus sought a passion that did not feel quite as confined. Photography gave her the opportunity to be out in the world and exposed to other people while also doing something she loved. Shortly after, Bright enrolled herself in several photography classes at the prestigious School of Visual Arts.
Bright is also passionate about travelling and found her inspiration for many of her photographs during trips to places including Nova Scotia, Hong Kong, and Egypt. Bright said that, of all the places she has visited out of the country, her favorite is Berlin, as she is a fan of the lively city, great food, and urban feel. Another source of inspiration, she said, comes from the medium she left behind — the paintings of talented artists that she previously studied in college.
Bright makes frequent trips back to New York to see the works of other gifted photographers at various exhibitions and events, and she said her favorite photographic subjects include “forgotten and hidden places” and “enigmatic landscapes.”