This Apparent Magnitude
This Apparent Magnitude is a thesis exhibition of work by Tyler Muzzin, MFA candidate at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta. This body of work responds to ideas of time, ecology, regional and photographic histories, and the artist’s own perambulatory experiences in the Western prairies.
Apparent magnitude, first theorized by Greek astronomer Hipparchus in the second century BCE, is a system used to measure the brightness of celestial objects. Over the past two millennia, the theory has adapted to new technological apparatuses, and has become increasingly comprehensive with recent advancements in physics and mathematics. Muzzin sees in apparent magnitude a metaphorical parallel to the way casual observation and depiction become integrated into cultural patterns and ideology. The work focuses on photographic representation and its role in shaping ideas of ecological citizenship and the boundaries between the natural and cultural. Muzzin’s material explorations range from manipulations of commercial plastics and composites, to the photo-degradation of archival materials exposed to outdoor sunlight for over a year. A photo book including previous work and observations will accompany the exhibition.
This Apparent Magnitude opens at the Trianon Gallery on Saturday, July 13th. The public is invited to attend the opening reception from 9:00 – 11:00 PM; snacks and refreshments will be available. Viewing can also be arranged by contacting the artist. Thanks to John Savill of Savill Group Architecture, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the School of Graduate Studies, University of Lethbridge for their generous support.
Tyler Muzzin holds a BA in English Language & Literature from the University of Western Ontario (2010) and a BA in Studio Art from the University of Guelph (2013). He is currently pursuing an MFA at the University of Lethbridge with a focus on lens-based media and the representation of physical environments. Muzzin won the SAAG Writing Prize in March 2018, and was awarded a Gushul Studio residency in the Crowsnest Pass for the month of June 2018. Recent solo projects include Chorus, an outdoor installation at THIRD SHIFT Festival of Public Contemporary Art in Saint John, New Brunswick in August 2018, and Flower Arrangements for the Hillcrest Mine Disaster Cemetery, exhibited at the Iceland Academy of Arts in February 2019. In May 2019, his work was featured in Of Surroundings, a group exhibition at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery; a folio of photographs from the Sentinel series was selected for publication in Spring 2019 by 89Books in Palermo, Italy.