Happy New Year!!!
My first solo exhibition opened this weekend! Comfort Objects is on display at Camerawork Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Join me for the Artist’s Talk! Details are as follows, and the address can be found by following the link:
Portland, Oregon
January 2 – January 29, 2016
Artist’s Talk: 2pm on Saturday, January 16
My thesis show ended yesterday. I drove downtown today to take the images down, pack them up and bring them home. The show was the culmination of a year-long focused effort preceded by five years of study. It felt like a wonderful accomplishment. Opening night was a great celebration thanks to the support of family, friends, and the Photo Center NW community.
As I reflect on lessons learned from this last phase, I am mostly struck by how quickly it passed. I thought having work on the walls of a gallery would feel more permanent. In the passing of the month though, I have learned exhibitions are temporary, and that’s okay. It is strikingly similar to adorning our walls with my children’s art. In time, it is taken down to make room for new creations. Photography is helping me make peace with ambiguity and fleeting time.
All month I thought about writing a post but was conflicted about what to write. Word was spread in multiple ways so a simple invite seemed redundant. This afternoon clarity struck. I hope to summarize the experience below for those who were unable to attend.
Comfort Objects is the body of work shown in the exhibit. To date, I have photographed over seventy children for this project. I selected nine portraits for the thesis show. Each one reflects something about childhood in general, in addition to speaking more specifically about children’s relationships with their comfort objects. Exhibited prints were 20″ x 30″, framed to 24″ x 34″. The following are installation shots of the work displayed.
As part of the exhibit, I printed postcards with portraits of comfort objects alone and invited viewers to take one home. In exchange, I asked them to share a memory or story about a comfort object or special toy. There were many wonderful memories shared in the book provided, and I am grateful for each one written. I want to share one story that stands out to me.
“I had a white waffle blanket that I slept with for the longest time. There was a rotation until I was old enough to recognize which one came back from the wash. Then there was just one which became more and more threadbare. As I got older the blanket stayed. But there’s a distinct memory of when I realized that I no longer talked to it and confided in it. I had grown up and the blanket had lapsed into silence. That still hits me when I visit my parents and pull it out of the closet to smell, feel and hug it one more time.”
Thank you “L” for including your story.
It was a pleasure to work with the instructors and staff at PCNW for this exhibition. I am grateful for their guidance, encouragement and support. I am thankful to be a member of the PCNW community and proud to be a graduate of the certificate program.
You can read more about the thesis exhibition and see samples of the work from my fellow students at the following link Thesis Exhibition 2014 – Photo Center NW
A portfolio of 10 images from my Comfort Objects series was selected for Blue Sky Gallery’s Pacific Northwest Photography Viewing Drawers, Portland, Oregon, juried selection 2014! Thanks to Blue Sky and Jurors Michelle Dunn Marsh and Todd Johnson.
I am late getting the word out… but the work will be there for a full year so there’s still plenty of time to see it. If you’re in Portland, go check it out! For more information, visit their website: Blue Sky Gallery 2014 Pacific NW Photography Viewing Drawers.
For my friends who live too far away, these are the images on view…
Gallery Notice : Images have either not been selected or couldn't be found
“Parker with Davis Duck”, part of my Comfort Objects series, was selected for Musings: Photo Center NW’s 18th Annual Photo Competition. The juror was John A. Bennette, collector and curator. I am honored to have one of my images included in this fascinating collection of work from 75 different artists.
Click here to see exhibition images
Come see the exhibit!
Exhibition Dates: August 2 – September 15
Lecture, Artists’ Reception & Awards:
Friday, Aug. 16 // Lecture: 6:30pm, SAM // Reception & Awards: 8:00pm, Photo Center NW
There will be a lecture at the Seattle Art museum with John Bennette, followed by an artists’ reception and awards at Photo Center NW to celebrate. Bennette, juror of the Musings exhibition, collector, curator, and champion of artists will talk about the exhibition and his passion for collecting photography. He will address the significance of collecting emerging photographers in the art world. He will highlight images from his personal collection, the exhibition at Photo Center as well as works at the Seattle Art Museum.
Purchase tickets for the lecture here.
In the fall of 2011, I took a class at Photographic Center NW called City Panorama. The purpose of the class was to prepare and submit work to be considered for a public art project sponsored by the school, King County Metro and 4Culture. Photographs selected were then printed on 8′ x 2′ wooden panels and installed in Metro bus shelters where they will remain on display for up to 10 years. Twelve of my images were selected for the project, and all but one were installed in the past few months. Images are shown below. I have visited six to date, and will add images of the remaining sites as I can. This Google map lists and pinpoints all the locations. If you happen to be near one, drive by and check it out!
The class was a wonderful adventure in discovering the possibilities of public art. Two projects are represented in the twelve images. My project Intangible Inheritance was conceived of during this class. It is the first body of work that I began with a concept and followed through to visual representation, which is a turning point for me. Eowyn’s Horses is another project I began in this class, and continues my interest in childhood imagination and creativity.
Gallery Notice : Images have either not been selected or couldn't be found
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