Group shows tend to be organized around specific themes such as trees, water, red and so on. What makes this particular exhibit so interesting is that the theme was about different ways to present the photographic image. As such, there were works that were on glass, metal, canvas using the encaustic process, a leaf, as well as paper. Christopher Porche West, uses scavenged furniture bits assembled in a freestanding monolith with his poetic image of two children in the center. J.R. Portman, (ed. Note: J.R. was inadvertently referred to as J.R. Robinson on the accompanying video) made a light box from a transom window and employed an image transfer process on the glass utilizing clear acrylic caulk as the transfer agent. This is the first time I have ever seen this and could very well be a unique method. Minka Stoyanova created a mobile from broken glass fragments, upon which the image was printed with a photographic liquid emulsion. Jan Gilbert managed to wrap a goblet with an emulsion, which contained a nude torso. Janet Flohr’s photograph was printed on a sheet of aluminum.
I have singled out these images to illustrate the range of materials used in this most unusual of photographic exhibits. This show also was important to the N.O. Photo Alliance because it was the first time we had international contributors with submissions from Poland, Canada, and Holland.
This exhibition, curated by David Rubin, at the cozy gallery of the organization is groundbreaking because of the fact that this new upstart group, with less than 3 years under its belt since its inception, has managed to present a startling array of possibilities as to how the photograph can be created. I recommend that for those of you who have not had a chance the see this truly exciting and challenging show visit the online gallery at the NOPA website.
Owen Murphy Jr.