New Book from Mike and Doug Starn Due Out October 2012

Writing a post about Mike and Doug Starn known as the Starn Twins, is not easy as the two defy categorization. Identical twins born in 1961, who graduated from School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1985, Mike and Doug Starn best known for their photographs. They have combined their innovations in photographic technique with sculpture, science, video, and installation art. What is central to their art is how they work together and share a common vision for their work. One doesn't try to outdo the other, the work together to achieve work that hasn’t been seen before in the photographic world.

Their interest in organic structures has lead them to photograph moths, trees, leaves, and snowflakes that are photographed in large scale and often taking up an entire wall.They made their debut at the critically acclaimed show in the 1987 Whitney Biennial and have gone on to exhibit in major shows at museums worldwide. 

Their exquisitely produced book, Attracted to Light (now sadly out of print), brings their black and white photographs of moths into view showing the Starns’ conceptual portrait series of the nocturnal moths’ journey and the seeming gravitational force that light has over them. (from book jacket). 

Conceptualization lead to their show Big Bambú: You Can't, You Don't, and you Won't Stop, took place on the roof of The Metropolitan Museum of Art between April and October 2010. This show brought in an astounding number of visitors with over 3,000 viewers per day. In 2011 Big Bambú continued above the Grand Canal as an official collateral exhibition of the 54th Venice Biennale, spiraling over 50 feet high.(wikipedia)

In the fall of 2012, the brothers will exhibit Gravity of Light at the Cincinnati Art Museum that will coincide with the release of a book by the same name. Gravity of Light, will feature photographs of trees and leaves that will be illuminated by a single, blindingly bright carbon arc lamp. This carbon arc lamp is an adaptation of an 1804 model by British physicist Humphry Davy,which produces a brilliant point of light too dazzling for the naked eye. This is the 3rd installment of the show that was previously seen at the Stockholm based Färgfabriken Kunsthall Museum and premiered in the US in 2008 by The Wood Street Galleries in Pittsburgh, PA. The exhibit will coincide with the release of a book by the same name. 

As books by the Starn's seem to go out of print quickly the Central Library only owns one as seen below. Click on the cover for more info.