Photo exhibit accents the 'ordinary'

Picturing the everyday, a theme prevalent throughout the work of Bloomington photographer Tom Stio, is the subject of a new exhibit called "Parallel Universes," which is on display at the Buskirk-Chumley Textillery Gallery, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., until Nov. 29.\n"In this other universe, everyday objects such as a tree, some rusting machinery or even a crack in the concrete, transcend their everyday nature by revealing an extraordinary order or beauty," Stio said. \nStio, who studied at Brooklyn College, is also an IU alumnus. He has a master's degree in biology and now owns Shadow and Light Studio, 5353 E. State Rd. \nThe photos, all unique in composition, are a blend of objects and portraiture. Many of them depict inner-city urban decay, such as "Men," whose subject is a men's room surrounded by a cracked, graffiti-ridden city wall. \nOther photos, such as "Sandstone Waterfall" depict natural or rural harmony. The seemingly ordinary products of nature are captured and made important by the photos. In "Sandstone Waterfall," a crevice inside a cave is massive in its natural state, appearing like a solid waterfall cascading down to the cave floor. \n"They're reflective because they look like photos of such everyday things," freshman Puja Kathrotiya said. "Yet they all sort of have an internal quality that makes them beautiful. The colors, in the color photos, are brilliant." \nAnother photo, "At the County Fair," is subtle in its context, yet the palette of colors, including blues, reds and greens, is vivid and sharp in focus. This photo shows rows of jars filled with water and plastic balls used to play a carnival game. \n"The photo gives the viewer the sense that, although this is something very standard, it can be beautiful if you take notice of it," Kathrotiya said.\nIn other photos, such as "The Hand," shadows create a dramatic effect. The subject is a nude woman whose back faces the viewer, while her hands wrap delicately around her back and become the focus of the portrait. \nIn "Six Dancers," a portrait of ballet dancers, gallery onlooker Ashley Donaldson said the photo gave her a sense of nostalgia, remembering the days when she took ballet and other dance lessons.\n"It makes me think of when I danced," Donaldson said. "I like the way it has blurs on the outline of their bodies. It shows the movement of the dancers."\nAlthough they incorporate many different themes, such as urban life, rural scenery and portraiture, all the photos share one quality -- they are scenes of the ordinary, which may be overlooked in everyday life. \n"Inanimate objects may seem to become with a certain life force of their own; living things may gain an almost supernatural quality," Stio said. "It is this compelling, but elusive, 'parallel universe' of everyday things which I attempt to capture in my photographs."\nThe Textillery Gallery is located on the second floor of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater and is open during theater hours, according to Buskirk-Chumley's Web site.\n-- Contact staff writer Olivia Morales at ormorale@indiana.edu.