Art + Environment

Mirrored and Reflected

Ice Formations Transformed
Miller Gallery
August 21 - November 13, 2024
David Stichweh, Photographer
Public Reception
August 31, 2024, 4p - 6p
Artist remarks begin at 4:30p
In winter, the small world of ice patterns on the surfaces of shallow puddles creates an infinity of shapes and forms that are the subjects of my photographs. Exploring this subject with the camera extends to further exploring during the process of printing. In printing an individual exposure, the subject is flipped, mirrored, reflected and turned. Combining these four perspectives into a single print creates new visual relationships with all the lines and shapes within the subject revealing a new awareness of pattern and design.

What does a mirror reveal as it reflects what is in front of it? What does an image reveal as it is reflected back on itself?

In my prints I take one subject and mirror, reflect, flip, and rotate it, then combine these four perspectives into a single image. The subject’s lines and shapes are seen in relationship to each other, creating new patterns and designs.

During the past three winters I photographed the ever-changing and infinitely varied shapes and patterns of ice that formed on the surfaces of small puddles, most one to two feet in diameter and no more than one to two inches deep. I was amazed at the variety of patterns and shapes the ice became and amazed again at what the mirrored and reflected presentation of the subject revealed in the final print. Some images are just a fascinating presentation of pattern and design. Other images transport me into another time and dimension.

In the prints titled Deep Space, I photographed ice patterns on the surface of 1” deep puddles. The multifaceted prints of these exposures take me into the realm of deep space: into the presence of galaxies and stars and nebulae, into infinity. What is the power of a photograph, a painting, a drawing, a print, or any art form to transcend what we see into more than what we see? From sight to insight.

“…I go amazed into 

the maze of a design.”

—Wendall Berry
Poet (Sabbaths, 7–8)

Ice forms on the surface of small puddles seem like such a simple subject. Yet exploring within this subject both with the camera and by the way it is presented in the print allows me to visualize what I sense within the subject as well as what I see.

ABout the Artist

David Stichweh

Katie Reaver is ceramic artist and sculptor based in Millersport, Ohio. She studied ceramics at the University of Mary Washington, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she graduated with a BA in studio art. Two years in the post-baccalaureate program at the University of Arkansas developed her artistic practice and gave her the opportunity to work as a studio technician and instructor at a local community arts center. After completing her MFA in ceramics at Ohio University, Katie joined the editorial staff of the Ceramic Arts Network and currently serves as editor of Ceramics Monthly. In the studio, her work and research focus on decorative objects, craft processes, and personal and shared histories. 

Thank you to our sponsors for their ongoing support of our global arts and interdisciplinary exhibitions and programming.

ohio arts council logo otterbein humanities advisory committee logo henry luce foundation logo otterbein ceramic summer insititute logo joanne miller stichweh fund

Plan

Your

Visit

The Frank Museum is located one block east of Uptown Westerville’s vibrant commercial district. Spend an afternoon visiting the museum’s current exhibition, browsing in Uptown’s locally owned shops, and relaxing in our excellent restaurants or coffee establishments. The Frank Museum staff are always available for tours.

VISIT

Current Exhibitions

  • The Living Art of Generative Scribing

    Fisher Gallery
    October 5, 2026 – April 15, 2027
    This exhibition showcases Generative Scribing, an emergent social art form, featuring the work of Berlin-based artist Olaf Baldini. Generative Scribing pairs deep, active listening with fluid visual art to help organizations and communities navigate complex, evolving futures. The installation features large-format paintings and drawings from global initiatives, alongside new work that will be drawn from dialogues and social fields at Otterbein and Central Ohio.

  • A Journey through America with Robert Freimark

    In collaboration with HOHMANN Fine Art Gallery
    Frank Museum of Art
    August 19 – December 4, 2026
    Between 1960 and 1968, artist Robert Freimark created Fifty States, a suite of abstract, full-sheet color screen prints representing each of the fifty United States. To make this collection, Freimark traveled around the country. He drew from his own experiences as well as extensive research into the history of each state to create a unique, multilayered print. Situated in The Frank, a museum dedicated to global art, the installation reflects on America’s 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and our country’s place in the world.

  • Jim Bowling: Inside Out

    A Sabbatical Exhibition
    Miller Gallery
    August 19 – November 4, 2026
    In this sabbatical exhibition, Jim Bowling reflects on the ways that personal, internal narratives influence external expressions. The artist explores this theme through the intimate connection between the interiors and exteriors of sculptural forms. Each narrative begins in the center of the sculpture, at the core of each piece. The surface narratives on the exterior ‘support’ forms, which are simple figurative bases, are impacted and transformed by the internal narratives. Viewers can investigate the nuanced relationships between inner narratives and exterior expressions through this series titled “Inside Out.”