Piscitelli's Photographs on Display in Aug.

Photographer John Piscitelli, Photographic Services Manager for Fairmont State University, is a Fairmont native who graduated from Fairmont State with an A.A.S. in commercial art graphic design in 1979 and received his Regent's Bachelor of Arts degree in 2005.

Piscitelli has worked at FSU for 23 years as the resident photographer. He enjoys painting, drawing and taking photographs and has been active in community theatre since 1986.

The artist uses digital photography exclusively in this exhibition, manipulating many of the images through various processes in Photoshop. He also uses filters to control the depth of color. The range of subject matter is wide and reflects the varied interests of the photographer: portraits of friends, animals, landscape studies and subjects interesting for their textures or form. Using odd angles, close-ups and distant views, Piscitelli draws viewers into his works, so that they might explore a particular quality of light in one work or soak up the saturated color of another.

"I don't buy into the whole 'art has to mean something' concept," Piscitelli says. "My work doesn't have deep-rooted meanings. It is what it is, and that's all."

Piscitelli's photographs will be on display in the Brooks Gallery from August 13-24. Regular gallery hours: Mondays - Fridays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. For special viewing arrangements, call or e-mail Curator Marian J. Hollinger, (304) 367-4300, mhollinger@fairmontstate.edu.