With the lights dimmed and music pumping, the University of Guelph-Humber Art Gallery opened its doors last Wednesday evening for its newest exhibit, Illumination of Darkness. 

The exhibit features the photography and poetry of 25-year-old Oakville artist, Evangeline Mackell. 

Focusing on her latest series of photography, Elightrix, the black-light lit opening night on Oct. 22 was meant to mimic her experience creating the images.

“I would lock myself in a room and pump the electronic music and sit in the dark playing with my camera,” Mackell said. “The whole idea is that the images that were taken in the dark are now being illuminated in darkness as well.”

The photos are streams of light that have been captured using specific settings on a digital camera. Mackell explained that her images are completely original and unique.

“Anyone can take a picture of an apple or a tree or a flower and you can find the same flower again; but there’s no way you can reproduce light in motion,” she said. “Once you move that camera in a certain way, there’s no way even I can recreate the exact same effect.”

Fourth-year Business student and Event Coordinator for the exhibit, Daniel Di Cicco, said the event was all their student team was hoping for.

“Intense planning means that your event is going to come out more than likely successful,” Di Cicco said. “The theme and the vibe in the room is exactly what I was picturing.”

With Matthew Glover a.k.a. DJ Applied Science providing electric/house beats for the night, students caught a glimpse into Mackell’s own interests. 

“The conglomeration of the images, the music, the atmosphere; [students] will maybe see where I was coming from and see the lifestyle that I’ve been a part of,” Mackell said. 

The exhibit will be on display in the gallery until Oct. 31. 

“It’s very good for the students and I think them coming in and seeing this and feeling a connection to the artist will actually expand their horizons,” Di Cicco said.