Like a 19th century somnambulist, Stephen Berkman perambulates through the now vanished era of pre-chemical photography. Conjuring a time when the medium was considered akin to natural magic, his camera obscura installations encompass both literal and philosophical explorations of the mysterious interplay of light and optics. Berkman's pre-analog experiments, in addition to his glass plate photographs will be presented in a monograph titled: Predicting the Past: Zohar Studios, the Lost Years. Summoning the acuity of a 19th century French novel, this body of work is suffused with the quixotic, the quotidian and Quasimodo. Born in Syracuse New York, and based in Pasadena, California, Berkman is completing his photography monograph and currently teaches at the Art Center College of Design.
