Eyedrum Gallery is hosting a retrospective of the work of Panorama Ray, the Cabbagetown photographer who captured local life and international monument through the lens of a 100-year-old panoramic camera.
The exhibition is a tribute to Herbert Ray Jr., who died 20 years ago this year. Along with the photographs, some of his best folk art paintings will also be on display.
Ray’s body of work consists of iconic imagery from the 1990’s that include the residents of Cabbagetown, Atlanta skylines, some of Atlanta’s beloved actors, musicians and performers, and the Ku Klux Klan of north Georgia.
In his travels, Panorama Ray also photographed the Egyptian Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower among other sites.
Panorama Ray developed a technique, which he called “Living Stills, ” where he would direct a subject to move through the image as it recorded their actions creating a ghost like effect.
The camera that Ray used to capture these images was inherited from his friend Fred Hess. Fred himself took many photos of iconic personalities and places in the early 20th century, including the Three Stooges and Warner Brothers.
Opening night for Panorama Ray Remembered is Aug. 12 from 7 p.m. to midnight at Eyedrum, 88 Forsyth St. For more information, visit eyedrum.org.
