Even in this digital age of easy photographic reproduction, there's something about the visual voila! of simple optics that remains enchanting. Award-winning, Cuba-born photographer Abelardo Morell taps into that sense of wonder with his photographs of room-sized camera obscuras. Known since ancient times — perhaps even used by Old Master painters to perfect their highly accurate renderings — the simple technology uses a dark room or box with a small pinhole to produce a live, inverted image of the external world. Morell projects architectural icons and contemporary landscapes onto a variety of interiors, from the minimal to the ornate, and with magical results. During an exhibition of his work, The Magic Box of Abelardo Morell, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts constructs a functional camera obscura for classes and tour groups, and offers programs and workshops related to the device for children and adults. On display through March 15, 200 N. Tampa St., downtown Tampa, free admission, 813-221-2222, fmopa.org.
This article appears in Jan 9-15, 2008.