Connecting Past and Present: Clint Baclawski MFA ’08 Brings Light to Malden

The work builds on a process Baclawski has been developing for approximately 12 years. Archival inkjet prints are carefully rolled inside clear tubes and illuminated by four-foot LED bulbs, turning photographs themselves into sculptural light installations. He has created between 20 and 30 works using the technique, including an 8-by-24-foot installation of a California wind turbine field now on view at 225 Franklin Street in Boston.

The origins of the process stretch back to Baclawski’s time as a graduate student at MassArt. While creating large-scale, freestanding light boxes, a print accidentally fell across a rack of bulbs in his studio. Seeing the photograph illuminated directly by the light sparked an entirely new approach.

“In the process of playing in the studio, I invented a process of displaying artwork,” Baclawski said.

MassArt has remained central to his creative life ever since. After earning his MFA in Photography in 2008, Baclawski joined the College’s staff, where he now oversees much of MassArt’s campus printing infrastructure and service bureau. He has also taught through Professional and Continuing Education and the graduate program.

What has kept him at MassArt for nearly two decades is simple: “The community.”

That sense of connection comes full circle in Connector, a work rooted in experimentation, photography, history, and place. Installed in a public-facing window, the illuminated piece is particularly striking after sunset, offering commuters and passersby a glowing glimpse into Malden’s past.

Connector is on view near Malden Center station. A public opening will be held October 3, from 4–7pm, alongside walking tours highlighting other public artworks throughout the city.