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Dennis Witmer: Solo Exhibition
Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Mennonite fanners, Dennis
Witmer studied physics and went on to earn his Ph.D. in engineering. He
began serious photography as an 
undergraduate, and when he moved to Alaska in 1987,
he hoped to concentrate on making photographs. (left: Madona Trash
1; right: Shopping Cart)
Witmer's mature work is predominantly concerned with landscape,
"the conflict of forces and values that can be seen there..,"
But his ideas of landscape incorporate "natural elements along 
with
the additions to the landscape made by agriculture, industry, and the consumer
culture." Whether it's shopping carts at night, or trash by the roadside,
he highlights the landscape we often see yet miss. (left: Tanana
River Freeze Up)
Because of the toning process Witmer uses, each photograph represents a unique interpretation of the negative. The negative for New Ice, Kotzebue Lagoon was shot in 1990; the print made in 1994.
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rev. 1/15/11
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