Hail Exhibition runs through Oct. 27 in Judith Rae Solomon Gallery, Bliss Hall

Youngstown State University’s Department of Art hosts an exhibition, Hail, by photographer Garrett O. Hansen through Oct. 27 in Bliss Hall’s Judith Rae Solomon Gallery.

The gallery is located on the street level of Bliss Hall and is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Hansen is an assistant professor of photography at the University of Kentucky and his work is exhibited at the Kinsey Institute, Bloomington, Indiana; Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio; Center for Prairie Studies, Grinnell, Iowa; and in private collections in Japan and the United States.

The Hail exhibit speaks to the fact that roughly 40% of the population in the US owns a gun, and that there are enough guns - approximately 300 million - to arm nearly every man, woman, and child in the country.

Each of his images are created from individual bullet holes. While shooting is fundamentally a destructive act, by bringing these holes into the darkroom, enlarging them and then processing and printing the results, he balances this destruction with creation.

Hansen’s Silhouettes series engages the broader culture of guns in America. Every week he goes to a local gun range to collect the cardboard backings that are used behind their standard target. The targets depict an unarmed man’s silhouette, a highly common target throughout civilian and police gun ranges. He brings the targets into the darkroom making full sized contact prints of them. These are then scanned and printed using a laser cutter. The final cut paper pieces, when installed, are lit from behind. As viewers approach the images the light falls on them so that where the light touches, is where a bullet would strike.

Parking is available in the M30 Wick Avenue parking deck via Walnut Street (GPS address is 100 Wade Street, Youngstown OH 44502) for a nominal fee. Patrons are advised to watch for posted detours as construction progresses on Wick Avenue. For more information, contact the Office of Community Engagement and Events at 330-941-2307.