‘According to the Laws of Chance’ at Light Work explores the role of chance in photography

“According to the Laws of Chance,” a group exhibition at the Light Work Gallery, focuses on the role that chance plays in various genres of photography.

It’s a broad-based show with photography of the movement, collage work and pieces created by artists who experiment in the darkroom. There’s a diverse roster of 11 photographers who utilize chance as a vital tool in their work.

For example, Syracuse photographer Will Stith has indicated that he photographs things as they happen. His image, “You’re Going the Wrong Way,” depicts a city scene in which a man tugs on the shirt of a second man who’s headed in the other direction. Most viewers will assume the two men are friends or previously acquainted.

In the photo, Stith has captured a moment in time and made it visually intriguing. This is definitely an interesting image.

There’s also an element of chance in “Something Strange is Afoot,” a photo in which a man and woman stand on an upper floor of what looks like a downtown building. They aren’t side-by-side  but are close enough to touch fingers. We don’t know how they are connected. it’s clear that If Stith had grabbed his camera a minute later, this photograph wouldn’t be possible.

The exhibit also displays two images created by Cheryl Miller, an artist based in Boston. She’s spent 40 years documenting not only jazz musicians and hip-hop artists but also everyday experiences of African Americans.

Both photos portray people playing cards. In a classroom setting, several children play cards as an adult male, presumably a teacher, looks on. And in the backroom of a restaurant or convenience store, a man sits on a bar counting money and holding cards. He’s there with a fellow card player and several onlookers.

The two images both depict card games, but that’s not the source of their appeal. Miller is communicating a sense of community. The backroom is a neighborhood hang-out.

Elsewhere, the show presents photos from Louis Chavez’s recent series, “New Intimacies,” which explores geographies of desire, Manhattan locales where gay men cruise for sex. One image imposes a shadow over a wooded area, while the other documents a scene where a railroad track runs right by a fence. A red flash and a green flash light up the photograph. No people appear in the photos,

In addition. “According to the Lawns of Chance” displays several works in which imagery is manipulated. Peter Finnemore created “The Shadow,” whose centerpiece is a large shadowy figure in the background. Images of sprawling coral snakes and tiny figures, such as animals and a Buddha, are inserted into the photo.

Beyond that, Kyle Tata is an artist who plays with alternative photographic processes. “Studio Apparition #6” features a shape that looks like a ghost or spirit.

In addition, Several artists do collage work. Look for Jaclyn Wright’s “Blaze Pink I,” an artwork combining pink color, circles and other shapes, and images of people. There’s a couple with a pink blindfold over their eyes and a man with a pink mask over his face. The piece seems to have an absurdist flavor.

In addition, three collages document Josh Thorson’s interest in color, shape and line. “Moss Bridge,” a chromogenic print, blends dark color and bright colored cut paper.

The exhibit also incorporates Claire Warden’s “It’s Complicated,” with an array of images, and “Spinning Black Man” by Cecil McDonald Jr. The latter image portrays a man in a suit, with his tie flying in the air. Did he move quickly or there was a burst of wind? The viewer can’t be certain.

Finally, the late Rita Hammond, a well known local artist who taught at Cazenovia College for many years, created “Grass. Mirror, Hand,” Her photo is of a scene in a field where a small mirror is set on the hand and the image of a hand is superimposed on the mirror.

Hammond certainly did work like this image. However, over a long career she created an extensive body of work such as her portrait series “Image of a Girl” and “Image of a Woman.” They portrayed her friend Lynn Mosher as a college student and then 20 years later as a middle-aged woman.

It’s worth noting that the exhibition doesn’t intend to cover every aspect of the artists’ work. That’s not possible in a small show. Rather, “According to the Laws of Chance” is centered on a concept, an examination of chance as a key factor in various photographic works. That is the exhibition’s mission, and it does it well.

“According to the Laws of Chance” is on display through August 15 at the Light Work Gallery, 316 Waverly Ave. on the Syracuse University campus. The gallery is currently open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public is welcome, and there’s no admission charge.

A reception will be held on July 26 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information, call 315-443-1300 or access lightwork.org.