Lori Kella (b.1974)
Euclid’s Mirror, 2019
Materials: Archival pigment print (photograph), edition no. 2/5, 30” x 45”
Location at Summa Health:
Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower, Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), Blue Neighborhood, Sixth Floor, between rooms H6-113 and H6-114
About the Art
Lori Kella’s Euclid’s Mirror is part of her Vanishing Shoreline series, a continuation of her larger body of work, Erie Lost and Found. This collection reimagines the shifting shoreline of the Great Lakes, paying homage to a horizon that has captivated Kella for more than three decades. Her work explores the fragility of these landscapes, using photography to document meticulously crafted dioramas that blur the line between reality and illusion.
Kella’s artistic process is both intricate and unique. Rather than capturing real landscapes, she constructs small-scale dioramas using everyday materials such as wool, paper, painted plastic, soap, and glycerin. These scenes, staged and lit with precision in her home studio, become the subjects of her strikingly detailed photographs. The result is an image that, at first glance, appears to depict a natural landscape—but upon closer inspection, reveals itself as entirely fabricated. This tension between the natural and the constructed invites viewers to reconsider their perceptions of reality and the environment.
In Vanishing Shoreline, Kella addresses environmental concerns, embedding subtle but powerful narratives within her images. Tiny figures of threatened native species often appear in her compositions, serving as reminders of ecological imbalance. Her previous works have transported viewers beneath mountains to expose the effects of toxic mining or deep underwater to witness the destruction of marine ecosystems. Through her art, Kella compels us to look beyond surface appearances and acknowledge the hidden vulnerabilities of our world.
The title Euclid’s Mirror carries layered meanings. It references the reflective surface of Euclid Creek, a waterway Kella and her family have explored by kayak. At the same time, it alludes to the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid’s treatise on optics and perception—hinting at the way appearances can deceive. The desaturated colors, hazy atmosphere, and delicate forms in this piece contribute to a dreamlike, almost ethereal quality, reinforcing the theme of impermanence.
About the Artist
Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones
Kella’s artistic contributions extend beyond her own practice. A Michigan native now based in Cleveland, she earned her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from Cornell University. She has served as a curator and board member at SPACES Gallery and the Cleveland Print Room and has taught at several institutions, including Kent State University, Oberlin College, and the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her work has been widely exhibited, with solo and group shows at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Crystal Bridges Museum, and the Print Center in Philadelphia, among others. Her pieces are included in esteemed collections such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Akron Art Museum, and Cuyahoga Community College.
Through her evocative imagery, Lori Kella urges us to reconsider our relationship with the environment and to recognize the delicate, often unseen forces shaping the world around us. Visit her website to learn more.