Binghamton Photo & The Bundy Museum Presents:

A Fire in My Belly
Photography by Jackson Galati

First Friday Closing Reception Sept. 1st, 2023
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Exhibition on display from 8.4.23 - 10.3.23
Located in the Binghamton Photo first-floor gallery
32 Cedar St. (adjacent to the Bundy Museum)
Admission to the art gallery is always free.
Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

• No RSVP is required for the First Friday event

binghamtonphotodarkroom@gmail.com
Ph: 607.772.9179 ext.102

For regular visiting hours, walk-ins are welcome, however, booking a reservation online is recommended. Upon arriving, please check in at our visitor’s center at 133 Main St., Binghamton NY.

First Friday Online Gallery Exhibit
To view the First Friday Online Gallery exhibition, please click the button below.

Virtual Tour
Watch a virtual tour of the gallery below or in the videos section at Facebook.com/bundymuseum and The Bundy Museum YouTube channel.

Artist Bio:

Jackson Galati is a photographer based out of Binghamton, New York. Born and raised in the Hudson Valley, he comes from a long line of photographers—Galati’s great-grandfather started a photography studio in 1913 which remained open until the 1980s.

Jackson was introduced to the craft when his father put a point-and-shoot camera in his hands at a very young age. Over the years, Galati has refined his skills with a focus on studio portraiture. Working with a DSLR and now a mirrorless camera, Jackson has set up makeshift studios wherever he could find the space in the apartments he’s lived in since moving to Binghamton—be it the living room, bedroom, or bathroom. Jackson also publishes the photo zine “Documenting Being in a Pre-Invented Existence” which contains point-and-shoot snapshots reminiscent of the first photographs he took. On top of photography, Jackson performs with the local band Mother Horse.

Artist Statement:

With my photography, I investigate the authenticity of the self. The authentic self is not a static entity, but an ever-evolving being. Although a photograph captures only a fraction of a second, the representation created is a key to understanding the true nature of the subject—an essential character which cannot be articulated in words but can be signified through art. This is an illuminating process for myself and my subjects as we work together to create these images. Aspects of the subjects’ identities are emphasized by the choices in wardrobe, makeup, and composition. Through these decisions, we create an artifact—that is, the photograph itself—which captures our agency in the world at a specific moment in time. Furthermore, I see my self-portraits as a project of self-discovery. Following aesthetic motivations creates a product which reveals something deeper—putting on a leather jacket comes to represent an exterior persona as I cover up what is underneath.

While many of the photographs are metaphysically revealing, others purposefully omit. Religious motifs are recontextualized for our postmodern era—attributes of a saint are conveyed through marks on a t-shirt, a plastic sheet serves as a veil, a moment of pain looks like a moment of prayer. Some of the photographs celebrate the erotic. Some depict subjects in various states of dress while others capture high emotions.

On the whole, the photographs express my subjective view of the ideal of beauty. This is a motivating force for all my work. I am trying to capture what I think is beautiful. As already described, some of these images use symbolism to convey the meaning—the truth—of the art piece. However, beauty is not something which can be referenced to, it simply is. To me, this is the strongest way to convey authenticity. Like the Grecian urn said, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

Art Exhibit Virtual Tour:
A Fire in My Belly - Photography by Jackson Galati

Feel free to direct any feedback by contacting us.

The Bundy Museum of History & Art

129 Main St. Binghamton, NY 13905

(607) 772-9179 - info@bundymuseum.org