Wabi-sabi: Looking at Japan
by Joel Leeb

Opening reception
Friday, September 19, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

On display September 19 - October 14, 2008

Joel Leeb presents a thoughtful and respectful portrait of a foreign culture. Each image is a visual poem of delight and wonder. Wearing robes of white - men carry baskets of fire - and ascend worn stairs. Smooth, rounded pebbles - cradle a fallen tree trunk - and fill its hollow. Outdoor lanterns stand - like attentive chess pieces - awaiting players. A resident of Chapel Hill since 1975, Leeb was a faculty member at UNC for 14 years. Initially purchasing a camera to document the growth of his first child, Leeb soon "found that there was a whole world to see and record." For 35 years he has photographed the urban and rural landscape. His printing spans both contemporary digital processes and traditional handmade photographic paper created in the darkroom.