Richard Renaldi “CHRIS & AMAIRA” from the series “Touching Strangers”

The Light Factory celebrates its grand re-opening with an exhibition of Richard Renaldi’s photographic series, “Touching Strangers,” on Friday, October 3rd. After rebounding from a dire financial situation in 2013, the Light Factory is ready to reveal its new gallery space at its new location on 1817 Central Avenue. Renaldi will speak from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with the opening reception following.

Renaldi began “Touching Strangers” with a simple premise: to invite complete strangers to physically interact while posed for a portrait in front of an 8 x 10 large-format camera. With this invitation, Renaldi moves beyond capturing street scenes to actually engaging with his subjects and capturing how these strangers negotiate his invitation. “In a society in which social custom and propriety include prescribed limits on personal space, in which we have been taught not to touch, the results from this interaction are all the more remarkable,” he explains.

Born in Chicago in 1968, Renaldi received his BFA in photography from New York University. Exhibitions of his photographs have been mounted in galleries across the United States, Asia and Europe. He has also released two important monographs: “Figure and Ground” and “Fall River Boys” through the Aperture Foundation.

While in Charlotte, Renaldi will also lead a two-day intensive workshop on Saturday, October 4th and Sunday, the 5th for students to sharpen their portrait-making skills. Participants will learn about the construction of engaging portraits, the figure/ground relationship, the use of creative perspectives and other vital topics. Most importantly, they will have the chance to engage with Renaldi and receive personalized feedback. The member cost for this workshop is $500, and the non-member cost is $550. Check out The Light Factory’s Facebook page for a chance to win a free registration.

“Touching Strangers” will be on view until October 17th, so do not miss this chance to view Renaldi’s provocative portraits and celebrate the revitalization of The Light Factory.

The Light Factory: 1817 Central Ave., Charlotte; 704-333-9755