The Hindenburg – Horrific Beauty Surreal Wotiz Gallery exhibit to take place in May

The Milton Public Library will host a fascinating photography exhibit in our Wotiz Gallery during the month of May called: “The Hindenburg – Horrific Beauty Surreal.”  The photographer is David Stokle who is an artist in residence at the Walter Baker Artists’ Lofts in Dorchester.  This display is somewhat unusual in that it has the capacity to not only be aesthetically pleasing, but also informative about the photographic medium.  It shows the impact that striking press photographs may have on the public and how those images may influence art, including record covers.  In addition to the photographs, there will be some memorabilia and realia included related to the Hindenburg and these photos.

Here is what Mr. Stokle has to say about the exhibit:  “Most press photographs serve only to inform and record the news.  Every once in a while, however, some press photographs are so strikingly well timed and beautifully composed, they can also be viewed as exceptional works of art.  Such is the case with Murray Becker’s and Sam Shere’s respective photographs of the Hindenburg’s tragic but spectacular end in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on June 6, 1937.  35 people died when the Hindenburg caught fire and many of those that survived suffered appalling burns.  The Hindenburg disaster was so dramatic and frightening it brought an immediate end to the transatlantic lighter than aircraft travel industry.  Why then is the imagery of this horrid event so popular?  Using Becker’s and Shere’s original photographs as inspiration, this exhibit attempts to illustrate and explain the visual appeal of their works.  In addition, the exhibit joins in the discussion about the role of artificial intelligence in the creation of photographs and how artificial imagery affects and influences our perception and trust in what we see.  All but two of the images were created using old school photographic methods akin to the cinema photography of the 1930s.  Yet even these non-photo-shopped images present an artificial picture of the Hindenburg.  When looking at this exhibit, viewers are challenged to figure out which of the photographs were created using a computer, and then to contemplate how those that weren’t, were made.” 

David J. Stokle is a multi-media artist and resident at the Walter Baker Artists’ Lofts.  He attended Skidmore College and is currently finishing his book called Discretion Advised – Photographs & Related Stories.  This display is his first exhibit since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.  This year he was the recipient of a Cultural Sector Recovery grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a portion of which was used to fund this exhibit.   For more information, Email [email protected] or call the Reference Dept. at (617) 898-4964.  The Milton Public Library is located at 476 Canton Avenue.