Little Things: Drawings and Photographs by Fred Packard
Little Things: Drawings and Photographs by Fred Packard
Exhibition Dates: July 22, 2022 - April 1, 2023
Little Things: Drawings and Photographs by Fred Packard is a survey of works on paper by the beloved artist who founded the photography concentration in the Department of Visual Arts on the Campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The variety of media and subject matter on display parallels Packard’s varied life experiences as a soldier, photography lab manager, and educator.
The media represented in Little Things include gelatin silver prints and archival digital prints, as well as drawings in pen, ink, graphite, and oil crayons. Packard’s work reflects his lifelong love of travel, a love kindled while deployed in the U.S. Army when he was stationed in Europe during the Cold War. On view, there are images from several trips to Mexico and Europe, and most importantly, Louisiana, Packard’s home state. The common thread between these disparate locales is Packard’s urge to authentically capture his experiences and convey a sense of place. Also reflected in his work is the development of camera technology from the mid-twentieth century onward. The photographs on view in Little Things were shot using a 4” x 5” Graflex View large format camera and a variety of 35 mm cameras made by Rolleiflex, Rolleicord, Leica, and Pentax.
Most recently, Packard’s use of an iPhone as his camera of choice is an example of how his natural curiosity and love of new technology informs his practice. In the Looking Down series, he meditates on the passage of time, noting the manner in which light changes how river rocks and leaves in his backyard are perceived. These images stand out within Packard’s oeuvre in that they are exercises in composition and do not depict a specific place in a recognizable way.