“Flow” by Phil Nesmith, featured by Irvine Contemporary, is a visually arresting series of wet collodion photographs on black glass plates that document the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. The exhibit presents a selection of his compelling images, which serve as a record of his personal encounter with the region and people.
When the oil spill happened in June, Phil Nesmith set out for the Gulf to capture the devastation on film. He was able to gain access to places that were restricted to the public, allowing him to create unique glass plate images of the environment and people who were forced to confront the worst oil spill in U.S. history. For the images in “Flow,” Nesmith decided to use a photographic process developed at the same time the U.S. began its dependency on oil — the effects of which we are beginning to witness today.
This is Phil Nesmith’s third solo exhibition with Irvine Contemporary.
