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Poetter Hall was purchased by the SCAD founders in March 1979. Classes began in September of that year.  
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The Arts

Lira-Ratinoff offers viewers 'First Sight'

Denise Lira-Ratinoff’s photographs, such as “Ice 05,” document the perpetually changing faces of glaciers as part of her installation, book and Web project “At First Sight II.”

Denise Lira-Ratinoff's photographs, such as "Ice 05," document the perpetually changing faces of glaciers as part of her installation, book and Web project "At First Sight II."

By Monique Bos
Published: Friday, February 29, 2008

Denise Lira-Ratinoff wants to share the immediacy of experience through her work, and her project “At First Sight II” is designed to do exactly that.

Lira-Ratinoff, a Master of Fine Arts candidate in photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta, has developed a thesis that includes three components: a Web site; a limited-edition book; and a site-specific photography installation, which will take place March 8, 6 p.m. - midnight, at a loading dock, 1280 W. Peachtree St. N.W. in Atlanta.

“The title ‘At First Sight’ is my philosophy, how I see things,” said Lira-Ratinoff. According to her artist statement, “It is a meeting of the senses produced by facing the unpredicted. We absorb the observation, and the memory of the unpredicted becomes part of oneself. Sometimes, we look without observing and neglect to see the world around us, and consequently we fail to see within ourselves.”

Several longtime themes — the ephemeral nature of time, the function of space and water as an artistic subject — led Lira-Ratinoff to the concept of photographing glaciers. She traveled to Patagonia to document the constantly changing landscape of ice.

Ice 09Ice 09 (left)
“You cannot predict what you’ll be able to see of the glaciers because of weather conditions and because getting there is so difficult,” said Lira-Ratinoff, a native of Chile. “It was all about timing. There was pressure to capture the conditions in time, because sometimes you want to stay in front of something but you can’t, and you can’t come back later because all the images no longer exist; they’ve already melted.”

Lira-Ratinoff carefully selected the venue for the installation. “The installation’s importance is not only the material presented, but also the space,” she explained. “My idea is to create a contrast between the photographs and this empty, concrete environment. Also, the space is going to be cold; you’re looking at photographs of ice, so my plan is to create a [chilly] setting.”

She hopes the images capture viewers in the moment she took the photograph. “I want people to receive the same type of experience I had when I faced all these images. I want to awaken the sense of seeing what is before you,” she explained. “At first the installation can seem very abstract, but the photos are real; I don’t manipulate the images or the color at all. You see what I was seeing.”

Lira-Ratinoff deliberately avoids offering any commentary on global warming or environmental issues, allowing her images of the ever-shifting landscape to speak for themselves.

“My idea is to put people closer to the images and then let them realize these don’t exist anymore because we’re destroying them,” she said. “I want to inspire people to go deeper and research the issues for themselves.”

At the installation, Lira-Ratinoff will launch her book, “At First Sight II,” which features the same images on display at the loading dock. She deliberately chose a limited print run of 300 copies.

“The book is like a treasure because there is a finite number of copies,” she explained. “I’m never going to reprint or re-publish it.”

The format is simple, designed to allow viewers to confront the images with no extraneous material.

“The book is just photographs, not text,” she said. “The idea is that people will get their own experience through what they’re looking at. Inside the book is the time when I shot each photograph and the title of the image — no text, no experience, no place — it’s about just looking in front of you and being aware of that.”

Ice 11Ice 11 (right)

Simplicity also is key in how Lira-Ratinoff titles her photographs: “Ice 01,” “Ice 02” and so on. “I try to leave it very anonymous,” she explained. “It’s not like a catalog of images. I want you to experience exactly what you are looking at, with no translation … This makes the images as universal as possible.”

The final component of the project, the Web site, also engages the idea of time; she envisions it continually evolving and developing to accommodate a community of users.

“The Web site is what makes the project universal,” said Lira-Ratinoff. “After the installation, I will upload all the images. The Web site is going to be changing all the time … It goes beyond art. The idea is to keep growing and attract members from different environments, like a network of linked projects.”

The three aspects of the project complement each other, and each offers a unique statement about time and endurance.

“I’ve tried to use technology and various platforms,” said Lira-Ratinoff. “The book is very traditional; the Web site is for everybody; and the installation is a unique moment in time."

Ice 01
Ice 01