FRESH 2011: Skott Chandler, Harold Ross, Donna J. Wan and Ahron D. Weiner
Curated by W.M. Hunt and Darren Ching
Through Aug 13 at Klompching Gallery
111 Front St, Suite 206
Brooklyn, NY
(212) 796-2070
I don’t know if I’m just more attuned to it, but I seem to be seeing more and more calls for entry popping up all over the Web. One that caught my eye was FRESH 2011, curated by W.M. Hunt and Darren Ching. The results of this competition are now on display at Klompching Gallery in Brooklyn. Having just viewed a number of shows in SF, I realize reviewing from afar, looking at jpegs, is no substitute for seeing prints on the wall, but its better than nothing at all.
The curators’ stated goal was to find new photographers who “fully employ the medium of photography within the context of contemporary photographic practice.” So, this puts the range of potential entrants within a particular scope (a context that, frankly, would preclude my own work, I think.) There is a reasonably vigorous war of words and thoughts about the limitations that the art world conventions impose on photography, excluding certain approaches to the medium. Paul Graham’s essays are the strongest argument for migrating what’s acceptable as art photography away from its connection with conceptual and artificial approaches. The FRESH selections - Skott Chandler, Harold Ross, Donna J. Wan and Ahron D. Weiner - are a counter argument, supporting the non-documentary approaches to photography and championing photgraphers who are grappling with the nature of the medium itself.
Of the four photographers on display, Skott Chandler and Ahron Weiner’s work is the most compelling. Chandler’s time lapse photographs of domestic scenes, shot from an overhead perspective use techniques that deviate from straight photography in almost every dimension. Figures are blurred, perspective is skewed, subjects are demystified. And yet, these deviations from conventional practice combine to represent an authentic view of middle class American life.
Weiner’s project is a clever hack, Bible verses illustrated with compositions created from peeling and shredded advertising posters. These photographs represent repeated actions over time (applying ad posters over one another again and again) within a single moment in time and with a framing to add meaning - through Weiner’s intent and captions - completely divorced from the subject matter visually represented in the posters themselves.
FRESH 2011’s competition approach to the typical group shows held in summer months is a refreshing development. One can only rummage through the archive for beach and pool photos so many times.
David Bram has presented FRESH 2011 in a special Fraction Magazine showcase with an essay by W.M. Hunt.
