Aether and Earth is the the description that Mazen Abufadil uses to describe his feelings behind the innovative photo-fresco process he developed combining the ancient art of fresco with 21st century digital photography. For Mazen, Aether represents the fleeting, the wild, or the restless; Earth denotes the materials tamed and the light harnessed in the photo-fresco process.
Over two weekends in March, 2019, Mazen’s photo-fresco techniques were shared with an eager group of area photographers who participated in his masterclass sessions conducted at Gilcrease Museum and in Mazen’s Holland Hall studio.
The results of the masterclass are the twenty-five photo-frescos in the exhibition Aether and Earth. As seen in these works and the comments the twelve photographers provided, the photo-fresco technique provided them with a new, creative and inspiring way to approach the art of their photography.