Thinking About Photography
Dedicated to expanding our ideas about photography
Past Showcases
Summer 2024
June 26th - October 6th
In this showcase, we have themes of inner and outer life, with some projects becoming a bridge between both. Many of the artists in this showcase are examining their past, connecting to spaces and places that were formative to who they are as individuals. Often this contains a sense of dislocation and a fight to preserve one’s own personal or political culture in the face of the larger world they must navigate. Once again, many thanks to the editors at PhotoBook Journal for curating a set of very interesting books on the subject. Use this link for the showcase introduction and links to the artist pages.
Spring 2024
September 23rd - December 22nd
With this showcase, I’ve chosen a wide range of interpretations of identity. Many of the artists are exploring the spaces between personal and cultural identity - how to balance what is within, with what is demanded from the outside world. Several have looked at trauma, personal and generational, and how it shapes their own identities. That trauma can also be reflected in the fear of losing identity through mental illness.Once again, many thanks to the editors at PhotoBook Journal for curating a set of very interesting books on the subject. Use this link for the showcase introduction and links to the artist pages.
Photographers and That Which is Absent
Winter 2024
December 28th - March 21st
The photographers in this showcase have faced that absence with grace. Some have explored memory by creating spaces that allow us to reflect and reframe our own past. Others echo the heartache of those who are no longer with us, or use humor to celebrate those that are. Several have created spaces that have never existed - dreamlike landscapes that speak to a collective unconscious. We also have book reviews, from PhotoBook Journal, covering an excellent group of artists exploring this subject matter. Use this link for the showcase introduction and links to the artist pages.
Fall 2023
September 23rd - December 22nd
Water is a broad theme and the photographers here are good examples of looking at our relationship to water and how it transforms both our external and internal landscapes. They also explore the fight for control over access to water, how we interact with the substance, and what it means to us politically and metaphorically. Once again, many thanks to the editors at PhotoBook Journal for curating a set of very interesting books on the subject. Use this link for the showcase introduction and links to the artist pages.
Summer 2023
June 21st - September 22nd
The seven artists in this showcase have expanded the dialogue in photography by creating space for others to develop their own voice. Whether through education, curation, publishing or organizing, they’ve helped change our photographic landscape. I wanted to shine a light on their own work, because all of that community building can take time away from one’s artistic practice, no matter how satisfying it is. Join me in celebrating the magic of their voices. Use this link for the showcase introduction and links to the artist pages.
Spring 2023
March 20th - June 21st
In this showcase we look at six photographers who are exploring imagery through the use of collage. Juxtaposition, layering, fragmentation and the use of paint, or other media, are all collage and assemblage techniques and are a way to think outside the box and create new metaphors. These can convey emotion and other dimensions, adding depth and meaning that reach the viewer's mind at a subconscious level, allowing them to create their own narrative. Use this link for the showcase introduction and links to the artist pages.
Photography and Artists' Books
Sept 22nd - December 31st, 2022
As you journey through this showcase you will find that each artist has taken a unique path through the process. For some, the subject is very personal and the book becomes an attempt to make their experiences tangible with their use of content, sequence, materials and format. Others explore the sculptural aspects of the medium by creating dynamic forms through the exploration of binding and found objects. Marvelous work throughout, my only regret is not being able to hold these wonderful projects in person! Once again thank you to PhotoBook Journal for curating another set of engaging photobooks. Use this link for the showcase.
Photography and a Sense of Place
July 1st - September 21st, 2022
The photographers in this showcase have explored their territories with goals that range from social consciousness to the erasing or easing of assumptions. Others have found that staking out a territory can be a way of grounding oneself through a connection to a physical space and place. Not all journeys are external and it’s possible to use photography to help you search for an inner sense of place and belonging - a place that can be an anchor in time. Once again thank you to Douglas Stockdale, photographer, founder and editor of PhotoBook Journal for curating another set of interesting photobooks. Use this link for the showcase introduction, otherwise you can go directly to each artist using the grid.
May 1st - June 30th, 2022
In this showcase, I've chosen five photographers who've used the idea of family to explore their place in the world. Several have worked with their own families - while others have used photography to observe the families of others, or fill the gaps they've experienced in life. We also see the effects of outside forces, both political and economic on the most intimate of experiences. Once again many thanks to Douglas Stockdale, photographer, founder and editor of PhotoBook Journal for curating this set of family-inspired photography books - this time the subject matter really made it a hard choice with so many to choose from.
March 1st - April 30th, 2022
In this showcase, artists have fully embraced color as an important narrative aspect in their work. From lush noir tones to delicate saturations, their color palettes help to set a tone and mood. Some explore color in its political and cultural aspects while also pushing the boundaries of traditional materials. The pandemic and lockdown play a role in several photographers' work and shows the ability of art to help us reimagine our experiences. Many thanks to PhotoBook Journal for curating a wonderful set of photography books where how the artist works with color is an important element.
January 1st - February 28th, 2022
I searched for a wide range of approaches in putting this showcase together - much of the work is about exploration. We have a collaboration in the study of a relationship, as well as imagery that looks back at, or plays with the idea of, memories. One artist explores the marks of others. Another brings lives lived to the foreground, giving a voice to the silenced. Additionally, photobooks are such a perfect pairing of imagery and words and I'm so happy to have a guest contribution by PhotoBook Journal with reviews of six books where text has played a strong role.
October 18th - December 19th, 2021
These five photographers have found very interesting ways to explore the structure. From intimate to urban to historic, we look at purpose, scale and the human cost of our domestic landscape. We look at what remains when a significant structure, one that changed the lives of a generation, is no longer present. We even see photographer as architect in the creation of mind-bending, often humorous, structures that challenge our assumptions.
August 16th - October 17th, 2021
I looked to find an interesting range in the six photographers featured here. Utilizing the mechanics of photography, several artists have transcended the technical to create magical moments: from insomnia-driven wanderings, to examining what happens even before you shoot, to creating floating, ephemeral sculptures in the air. Exploring memory and the passage of time, several artists examine that experience and the sense of longing the journey can leave us with.
June 16th - August 15th, 2021
Each of the six artists featured here have a very thoughtful partnership with nature. Some of the work has been a response to our last year, the forced isolation that we all found ourselves under and turning to nature as an inspirational resource. Others seek to connect us to nature’s magical world, or draw our awareness to the consequences of our actions. Throughout the showcase, there is an understanding that the world/space we inhabit is important and should be honored.
April 11th - June 15th, 2021
I have chosen six photographers for this showcase whose art runs a wide gamut of what “staged imagery” can involve. Several have found imaginative ways to transform the everyday through reinvention and abstraction, finding the power in the ordinary. While others seek to evoke a mood, capture vanishing moments of beauty, or even include the presentation of the print as part of their staging.
February 14th - April 10th, 2021
Looking at artists who free photographs from walls and release them into our three-dimensional world. Some give life to the paper itself - leading the viewer on a journey as it folds and warps. Others offer, even demand, interaction that grants viewers a share of authorship/ownership experiences.
