Rather than choose the photographs for this show with a single theme or organizing principle in mind, I instead selected the most diverse group of good pictures from the overwhelmingly strong submissions. In looking at the dramatically different works that process produced, it is difficult to make a unifying statement about them, except that what … Continued
Will Steacy describes both his old and new apartments as resembling Hollywood’s stereotypical serial killer lair with newspaper clippings covering every wall. He’s not wrong, but his immaculately-maintained version is simply poetic. He’s not targeting individuals, finding his way to a particular point. If he was, his point would be the various socioeconomic changes in … Continued
Where are the Black nude portraits that are not created as reactive or reductive forms of critique, but are instead working towards the development of their own conceptual ideation and aesthetic frameworks? This question guided an exploration of Black women artists whose portraits of nude Black women subjects extend beyond notions of representation, documentation and … Continued
Kyle Meyer turns his photographs into richly tactile objects that occasionally dip into the realm of sculpture. Though the work is in part a critique of the digital age of photography, Meyer’s images have stakes that are far from the didactic. The Brooklyn-based artist has been spending time in Swaziland working on several long-term projects … Continued
Genevieve Gaignard and I have been friends for about 10 years. We’ve seen each other go through BFA programs, MFA programs, and have crossed paths both coasts as we spend our 30’s navigating the art world. Though we’ve known each other for a while now, this was the first time I was able to talk … Continued
In his parallel identities as a maker who employs the media of photography, performance, video, installation, and poetry, Harry Gamboa, Jr. (b. 1951, Los Angeles), has produced a range of work that remains critical to an understanding not only of Chicano art and its history, but also to a more accurate depiction of the avant-garde … Continued
Amelia Lang (AL): Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I know that you have been working on several projects that specifically address migration and families. But, first, I’d like to talk about your series Women’s Work. You started this documentary project after you had your son in 2012 and from looking at the work … Continued
As we embark on our upcoming fall season, John Szarkowski’s landmark Windows and Mirrors: American Photography since 1960 exhibition comes to mind. The acclaimed Museum of Modern Art curator mounted this exhibition in 1978 as a comment on the state of the medium during the past quarter century. Szarkowski’s thesis was that the photographer’s function had shifted … Continued
SPOT magazine is our online publication providing critical writing, ongoing documentation and timely debate about photography and related media.