"Creating images using historic photographic processes can be pleasing, finicky and unpredictable, to say the least," states Barbara J. Dombach a photographic artist based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania whose photography could be described by some as antiquarian and certainly labor-intensive.  She explains, "That from the beginning of my journey as a photographic artist, I seemed predisposed to a curious fascination with historic photographic processes."  Methods she uses individualizes and places a humanistic mark from the artist in each work. No two will ever be the same. Each is deeply fostered by vision and truly orchestrated by the artist's hand.

"She joins a growing number of contemporary photographers who have embraced the challenge of relearning antique processes in order to have one more means to picture the world in unexpected ways.  Although she produces pictures using a variety of photographic processes, her evocative wet plates counter those who might insist that photography's greatest asset as a visual medium lies in its seemingly objective and nowadays usually produced by digital means -- ever increasing clarity," Richard K. Kent.

Dombach's small images echo a foregoing quality, a likeness to the object and landscape as they were.  Her Wet Plate Collodion images have even been described as "mysterious and jewel-like," R. Kent.  Her Alternative Photographic methods, including Platinum/Palladium  are an inspiration to the photographic art world. She describes her work as a time of solitude in the following statement.  "I enjoy creating an image by hand and the satisfaction of using film cameras.  Within the solitude of my own wet darkroom I become an Alchemist, measuring grams of powder, liquid and crystal like chemicals,  mixing precisely to create collodion or hand-coating emulsion.  However my first passion is creating images on silver gelatin papers."    

Her "Hand-Painted" Black & White photographic images are truly a harmony of her early artistic experience using opaque oils and acrylics, watercolor and pencil mediums. Dombach's fine delicate technique, utilizing the application of transparent oils on black and white photographs, is an exquisite combination that results in beautiful detailed artwork.  Her work has been described as, "Simplistic Beauty," S. Hershey, "Intimate images," C. Kerne, "Very delicate and extremely fine work," R. Lowing.

In 2003 Dombach was awarded an "Artist in Resident" position at Acadia National Park, Maine. The three-week residency sojourn was the epilogue to a seven-year project about Rural, "Downeast" and Acadia areas in Maine. 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2010  December 3 to January 6, 2011, Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 North Front Street, Harrisburg, Pa

2009  "Postura"  (March & April) Carlson Cultural Room, Quarryville Library, Quarryville, Pa.

2008  "Flaunting Imperfection" (August & Sept) with "Collective Sojourn" book signing Dogstar  Books, Lancaster, Pa. 

         "Collective Sojourn," (March-May) Penn State Harrisburg, Morrison Gallery, Middletown, Pa.

2006  "Sojourn," (December) Delta Imaging Gallery, Lancaster, Pa.

2005  "Maine Light," (April & May) Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, Pa.

2002  "Recent Work," (March) "Mulberry Art Studio" Lancaster, Pa.

1993  "Touch of Color," (February) Community Gallery, Lancaster, Pa.

1992  "Lancaster in Infrared," (November) Marion Art Center, Lancaster, Pa

         "New Work," (March) Concentrix Gallery, Lancaster, Pa.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2009 "1212 National Juried Photography Exhibition," 1212 Gallery, Richmond, Virginia. 

        "Small Works," 1212 Gallery Manchester National Juried Fine Arts Exhibition, Richmond, Virginia.  

2009  "f-295 Symposium Exhibition" 707 Penn Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pa.

         "The Contemporary Photography"  Shy Rabbit, Pagosa Springs, CO

         "Antiquities" Lancaster County Art Association, Strasburg, Pa.       

2008  "Formerly & Hereafter,"  Plates to Pixels, Portland, OR, Christina Z. Anderson

          "The Polaroid Show"  Open Shutter, Durango, CO.        

         "STAC - 29th Annual Juried Photography Exhibition,"  Mills Pond House Gallery, St. James, NY.

2007  "Third Annual Alternative Processes Competition"  SOHO Gallery, New York NY, 

         "Art of the State"  Juried Exhibition, Harrisburg Arts Council, Harrisburg, Pa.

         "Lancaster County Art Association National Exhibition"  Strasburg, Pa.

         "In the Mirror"  (Invitation) Gallery DePaul, Lancaster, Pa

         "The Selective Eye" (Invitation) The Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa.

         "36th Annual Art Exhibition"  Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pa

         "Visual Edge 3: Handcrafted"  Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, Sacramento, Ca.

         "10th National Art Exhibition,"  Baker Arts Center, Liberal, Kansas.

2006  "Annual Juried Exhibition"  York Art Association, York, Pa.

         "23rd Annual Photographic Vision"  Lancaster Summer Arts Festival,  Lancaster, Pa.

         "Lancaster County Art Association National Exhibition"  Strasburg, Pa

         "Art of the Sate Annual Juried Exhibition"  Harrisburg Arts Council, Harrisburg, Pa

         "40th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts"  State College, Pa.

         "35th Annual Art Exhibition"  Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Pa

         "Second National Alternative Processes Competition"  SOHO Gallery, New York,. NY

         "8th Annual Juried Krappy Camera Competition"  SOHO Gallery, New York, NY.

         "Dark-Light"  National Photography Exhibition, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS

         "9th National Art Exhibition"  Baker Arts Center, Liberal, KS.

2005  "Yorkfest Celebration of the Arts"  Gallery Exhibit, York, Pa.

         "York Art Association Annual Juried Art Exhibition"  York, Pa.

         "In Focus"  Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, Va.

         "Small Works"  (Invitation)  NAP (New Arts Program), Kutztown, Pa.

         "Regional Juried Photography Exhibition"  Washington Gallery of Photography, Bethesda, MD.

         "34th Annual Art Exhibition"  Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pa.

2004   Conestoga Area Historical Society, Conestoga, Pa.

2004, 2001, 1998, 1994, 1993, 1992  Suzanne K. Arnold Gallery Annual Art Exhibition.

2003, 2002 & 2001  "Photographic Visions" Lancaster Summer Arts Festival,  Lancaster, Pa.

2002  "Tenth Annual Phillips Mill Photographic Exhibition"

         "Photo National 2002,"  Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, Pa.

2002 & 2001  " Pennsylvania festival of the Arts"  State College, Pa.

2002, 2001  "Yorkfest Celebration of the Arts"  Gallery Exhibit, York, Pa.

2002, 2001 & 2000 WITF Channel 33 Invitational Art Exhibit and Auction, Hershey, Pa.

2000 & 2002  "York Art Association."

1999, 1998, 1997, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988 "Photographic Visions" Lancaster Summer Arts Festival."

2000, 1998, 1996 Lancaster Camera Club Biannual Exhibit, Lancaster, Pa.

1996  "Yorkfest  Celebration of the Arts"   Gallery Exhibit, York, Pa.

1994  "That There Art," Lancaster, Pa.

1992   Society for Photographic Education, (Invitation)  Millersville University, Millersville, Pa.

AWARDS AND MERITS:

2007  Third Place, Lancaster County Art Association, "Annual Juried Exhibition"

2006  Second Place, Lancaster County Art Association, "Annual Juried Exhibition"

2006  Third Place, "Dark-Light,"  Pittsburg State University, KS.

2005  "Award of Excellence," Yorkfest Celebration of the Arts"  York, Pa. Council of the Arts.

2005  First Place, "Lancaster Summer Arts 22 annual Photographic Visions".

2003  "Artist in Residency" Recipient, at Acadia National Park, Maine

2002  Alternate participant in "Artist in Residency" Acadia National Park, Maine

2002  "Award of Merit" Yorkfest Celebration of the Arts"  York, Pa. Council of the arts gallery exhibit.

2000  Honorable Mention, "Lancaster Summer Arts Festival."

2000  "Judges Citation Award" Channel 33 Art Gallery Juried Art exhibition.

1992  "Lancaster City Arts Grant" recipient, Lancaster City. Project, using black & white infrared film.

1992  "Americana Award"  Donecker’ of Ephrata. 1990,  Lancaster Summer Arts Festival "Purchase Award"

PUBLICATIONS:

2009  "Diffusion Magazine" Volume 1, 2009

2007  "The Selective Eye"   The Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa.

2005  April 22, Review, Intelligencer Journal, Happenings, Carla Di Fonzo

2002  March 1, Review, Intelligencer Journal, Happenings, Larry Alexander

2000  Cover Image of Sept./Oct issue of " Photo Techniques" Magazine.

1991 through 1993 Photographs and written feature stories published in "Pennsylvania Magazine," International Photographer,"  &  

           "Photo  Competition USA."

1990 and 1991 Works published: Photographers Forum Magazine, "Best of Photography Annual"

COLLECTIONS:

2007  Permanent Display, "Directory Plus," 162 Stewart Street, Durango, Co.

2002  Permanent Display, "Museum of History & Art" Ontario, California.

1993  Invitation, "Society for Photographic Education" five works in archive.

1993  Invitation, "National Museum of Women in the Arts," eight works in archive.

Various works in Private Collections in United States, Canada, Europe and Japan.

TEACHING & LECTURES:

2009 Lecture, Lancaster QUEST for Learning, "View on Old Photographic Methods"

        Lecture, Lancaster Camera Club "Old Photographic Methods"

2008  Sole Juror with commentary, "25th Annual Photographic Visions" exhibition, sponsored by Lancaster Summer Arts.

2004  Guest Instructor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Martha Madigan photography class, Phila. Pa.

2006, 2004, 2002  Juror for Lancaster County Scholastic Photography awards

1999 through 2004  Instructor for Marshall’ Photo Oils. Conducting 3 to 4 (2 hr.) workshops per year in southeast Pennsylvania and

           Delaware for the national distributor, Brandess Kalt Aetna Group.

1999 through 2004  Instructor of workshops in: Polaroid Image & Emulsion Transfer, Hand - painting Black & White Images, Infrared

           Photography and Macro Photography at Hirtech Camera, Inc. Lancaster, Pa.

1998 through 2004  Instructor: two 8 week basic Black & White darkroom & one 8 week Advanced Black & White darkroom class annually

           at Hirtech Camera, Lancaster, Pa.

1993 through 2003  "Artist in Residence"  Donegal School District, Lancaster County, Pa.

1987 through 1990  Instructor of Photography, Harrisburg Area Community College Adult Education Program

SPECIAL INTERESTS:

Member of  SPE  "Society for Photographic Education" Adjunct Instructor

Supporting member of " Alternativephotography.com "  The art of alternative Photography and processes.

Supporting member of  "f295.org" Exploring 21st Century Photography

Member of Lancaster County Art Association, Strasburg, PA.

Member of Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA.

Member of L.I.P.G.  (Lancaster Independent Photographers Group), Lancaster, PA.