April 17, 2021 – July 16, 2021
Sunshine Prints, our 2021 Spring juried exhibition, features photographic work created through processes involving exposure to direct sunlight. This exhibition was juried by Benjamin Hickey, the current Curator of Exhibitions at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette, LA. It includes work by Renee Allie, Virginia Carr, Daniel Hojnacki, Claudia Hollister, Kei Ito, and Stephanie Paine.
Featured Image: Kei Ito, Recovery to Normal Existence, 2021
Juror’s Statement
Sunshine represents an opportunity to reevaluate photography’s position within my imagination. Too often, I associate photography with technological innovation and documentary utility. However, this exhibition’s call for entry stipulated the use of supposedly outdated photochemical processes, many of which result in abstracted images. Within these parameters, the selection process enabled me to focus on style rather than innovation or documentation.
While making my selections, I found myself drawn to two types of work: those that rejected traditional means of final display, such as frames, and those rife with potent symbolism that largely eschewed the human form. Given the events of the last year, I found the rejection of conventions and the human likeness comforting, and perhaps optimistic, a result of the general sense of disappointment I have felt when observing many people’s behavior in the public sphere. While this sentiment is inherently dark, it was an illuminating influence on my evaluation of artworks’ formal and metaphorical attributes, and could mark an interesting shift within my curatorial practice. This exciting group of exhibiting artists has a great deal to say.
Ben Hickey
Curator of Exhibitions
Hilliard Art Museum
