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    It is time to announce the five recipients of our Michael Reichmann Project Grant! Alanna Airitam, Marisol Mendez, Emeke Obanor, Andre Ramos-Woodard and Ada Trillo have been selected from the 2020 Critical Mass Top 200 Finalists to each receive a $1000 cash award to go towards the development of a new or current project. Believe us when we say it was a long process narrowing the field down to these five artists - and we appreciated the opinions of our jurors as well! Congratulations, photographers - we hope this support holds meaning in the continuation of your projects!

     

    Alanna Airitam's series The Golden Age honors Black culture while addressing how art history and museum curation largely omits any reference to it. Connections and contrasts between the Dutch Renaissance (17th c. Holland) and the Harlem Renaissance (20th c. New York City) are a focal point for Alanna with attention to the ideas of enlightenment and abundance.


     

     

     

     

     

     


    In her series MADREMarisol Mendez strives to challenge the deeply embedded machismo of her native Bolivia and dissects the Catholic dogmas of what the definition of femininity should be. She weaves mythological elements of Andean tradition into her imagery, which share elements of both fiction and documentary work. 

     

     


    Emeke Obanor is a Nigeria-based photographer whose portrait series Tree of Freedom tackles the fact that many girls kidnapped by the Boka Haram sect are still in captivity. As part of this series, he photographs uplifting letters of hope and courage written by activists to the captive girls, as a type of prayer for their survival and safety.



    Andre Ramos-Woodard shares his series a mediocre-ass nigga with us as a method of communicating the repercussions of personal, contemporary, and historical discrimination. He leans toward an auto-biographical narrative to synthesize Black cultural issues such as stereotypes, discrimination, and microaggressions that wear people down - and aims to re-contextualize the connected vocabulary.


     

     

                                                                             


    In La Caravana del Diablo 2020Ada Trillo documents Honduran citizens escaping violence and dismal conditions by forming a massive migrant caravan that winds its way through Guatemala into Mexico, while attempting to seek asylum. Many were met with tear gas, kept in detention centers, and eventually deported back to Honduras.



     
    This award is made possible by a generous endowment gifted to Photolucida by the Luminous Endowment for Photographers – an organization created by the late Michael Reichmann in 2007 to foster current and anticipated photography projects. Photolucida is excited to continue Michael’s legacy by providing this opportunity to emerging photographers.

     

     

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  2.  


    Much has been written about Odette England's Keeper of the Hearth / Picturing Roland Barthes' Unseen Photograph (Schilt Publishing & Gallery) - two terrific reviews can be found in a Lensculture article by Joanna L. Cresswell and a piece by Suzanne Révy on What Will You Remember.

    The premise of the project is remarkable in that Odette England reached out to more than 200 photo-based artists, writers, curators, and historians to contribute material reflective of their personal interpretation of Roland Barth's unpublished snapshot of his mother at age five. A point to this process is to not only look at what is in a frame but also to think about what might be implied or absent. It's about what happens the second before the photo, or the second after it. It is about what is written on the back of a photo, and about memory and time and ultimately it is about why perhaps people make photographs.

    Essay contributors include Charlotte Cotton, Douglas Nickel, Lucy Gallun, Lyle Rexer, and Phillip Prodger, and visual contributors include many who have participated in Photolucida's programming over the years: Renate Aller, Jane Fulton Alt,  Keliy Anderson-Staley, Christa Blackwood,  Alejandro Cartagena, Kelli Connell, Sian Davey, Ashlyn Davis, Frances F. Denny, Barbara Diener, Jess T. Dugan, Matt Eich, Amy Elkins, Odette England,  David Favrod, Jon Feinstein, Amy Friend, Jason Fulford, Jennifer Garza-Cuen, Julia Fullerton-Batten, Meggan Gould, Kris Graves, Cig Harvey, Todd Hido, Eirik Johnson, Mona Kuhn, Shane Lavalette, Paula McCartney, David Maisel, Rania Matar, Andy Mattern, Raymond Meeks, Meike Nixdorf, Alison Nordstrom, Lydia Panas, Rachel Papo, Birthe Pointek, Jeff Rich, Meghann Riepenhoff, Ken Rosenthal, Cheryle St. Onge, Kris Sanford, Aaron Schuman, Bill Schwab, Christina Seely, Aline Smithson, Alec Soth, Joni Sternbach, Brad Temkin, Brian Ulrich, Catherine Wagner, and Terri Weifenbach.

    Photolucida is pleased to send a copy of Keeper of the Hearth to the following Critical Mass 2020 Finalists - there was something about each person's body of work that was somehow reflective of the point of the book. We hope it makes a great addition to your library!

    Hannah Altman

    Rachael Banks

    Goseong Choi

    Jasmine Clarke

    Deana Collins

    Cathy Cone

    Rich-Joseph Facun

    Roei Greenberg

    Anna Gevenitis

    Alice Q. Hargrave

    Barbara Hazen

    Letitia Huckaby

    Rose Jerome

    Jordanna Kalman

    Forest Kelley

    Sandra Klein

    Lesia Maruschak

    Molly McCall

    Emily Hanako Momohara

    Nancy A. Nichols

    Nassima Rothacker

    Miranda Schmitz

    Mirjam Stenevik

    Aaron R. Turner

    Alex Turner


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  3. Image: Kevin Moore


    Check out the (wonderfully diverse) portfolios of the Critical Mass TOP 50 HERE!

    Congratulations (and respect) to:

    Alanna Airitam
    Dirk Anschutz
    Matthew Arnold
    Cody Bratt
    Rachel Bujalski
    Gary Burnley
    David Cade
    Adam Chin
    Kathleen Clark
    Jasmine Clarke
    Norma Córdova
    Yolanda Del Amo
    Andrew Feiler
    Marina Font
    Julia Fullerton-Batten
    Anna Grevenitis
    Photographer Hal
    Dylan Hausthor
    Ryotaro Horiuchi
    Letitia Huckaby
    Ervin Johnson
    Jordanna Kalman
    Forest Kelley
    Tom Kiefer
    Andy Mattern
    Peter Merts
    Kevin Moore
    Rebecca Moseman
    Leah Nash + Christopher Onstott
    Dan Nelken
    Bob Newman
    Emeke Obanor
    Walter Plotnick
    Betty Press
    Andre Ramos-Woodard
    Astrid Reischwitz
    Kennady Schneider
    Safi Alia Shabaik
    Stephen Sheffield
    Agnieszka Sosnowska
    Daisuke Takakura
    Jerry Takigawa
    Rashod Taylor
    Tokie Taylor
    Mirja Maria Thiel
    Ada Trillo
    Aaron Turner
    Alex Turner
    Pep Ventosa
    Tariq Zaidi

     

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  4. Image: Cassandra Klos, a 2020 MFA Student Scholarship recipient

    It's one of our favorite days of the entire year - the prescreening jurors have finished their voting and the results are in! We are pleased to announce the finalists for this year's Critical Mass! The 200 finalists will go on to have their work juried by the full panel of 200 jurors. The Top 50 photographers will be announced to great fanfare in mid-September. Stay tuned for updates about the Top 50 and the Critical Mass awards.

    Thank you to all who entered Critical Mass this year! We had a record number of entries this year, leaving our prescreening jurors with a challanging task! It seems like a lot of you have spent the uncertainty of this time in our shared history creating new work about your current reality or by revisiting and strengthening older work. We know you put a great deal of passion and dedication into your photography and it was a pleasure to see such a diverse selection of wonderful and thought-provoking images from all over the world. Without further ado - the finalists are:


    Rochelle Marie Adam

    Seb Agnew

    Alanna Airitam

    Hannah Altman

    Dirk Anschutz

    Noriko Aoyama

    Debe Arlook

    Matthew Arnold

    Rachael Banks

    Becky Behar

    Ute Behrend

    Patricia A. Bender

    Anne Berry

    Guia Besana

    Lois Bielefeld

    Madeline Bishop

    Marina Black

    Cody Bratt

    Steven Brock

    Rachel Louise Brown

    Casey Lance Brown

    Jennifer Bucheit

    Rachel Bujalski

    Gary Burnley

    David Cade

    Alana Celii

    Jo Ann Chaus

    Diana Cheren Nygren

    Adam Chin

    Goseong Choi

    Kathleen Clark

    Jasmine Clarke

    Cheryl Clegg

    Deana Collins

    Cathy Cone

    Norma Córdova

    Scarlett Coten

    Tara Cronin

    Lisa Cutler

    Lee Day

    Yolanda Del Amo

    Marcus Desieno

    Leah Diament

    Norm Diamond

    Barbara Diener

    Alexandra Diez De Rivera

    Annick Donkers

    Felice Douglas

    Damien Drew

    Aristide Economopoulos

    Christina Edmonds

    Carol Erb

    Harlan Erskine

    Peter Essick

    Rich-Joseph Facun

    Andrew Feiler

    Kevin Fletcher

    Marina Font

    Mark Forbes

    Travon Free

    David Freese

    Julia Fullerton-Batten

    Ebenezer Galluzzo

    Jacques Gautreau

    Erika Gentry + Sean Black

    Daniel George

    Jennifer Georgescu

    Julie Glassberg

    Steve Goldband + Ellen Konar

    Daniel Gonçalves

    Roei Greenberg

    Anna Grevenitis

    Photographer Hal

    Rob Hammer

    Alice Hargrave

    Barbara Hazen

    Oyvind Hjelmen

    Bootsy Holler

    Ryotaro Horiuchi

    Sarah Hoskins

    Letitia Huckaby

    Adriene Hughes

    Evan Hume

    Stephan Jahanshahi

    Rose Jerome

    Ervin Johnson

    Michael Joseph

    Gregory Jundanian

    Brendon Kahn

    Jordanna Kalman

    Vikesh Kapoor

    Barbara Karant

    Selena Kearney

    Forest Kelley

    Tira Khan

    Takako Kido

    Tom Kiefer

    Jenny Kim

    Heidi Kirkpatrick

    Sandra Klein

    Eric Kunsman

    Nate Larson

    James Lattanzio

    Ted Lau

    J. K. Lavin

    Serge Levy

    Elizabeth Libert

    Amanda Lopez

    Holly Lynton

    Sarah Malakoff

    Vanessa Marsh

    Lesia Maruschak

    Andy Mattern

    Molly Mccall

    Lea Meienberg

    Marisol Mendez

    Michael Mergen

    Peter Merts

    Margaret Mitchell

    Fred Mitchell

    Emily Hanako Momohara

    Kevin Moore

    Rebecca Moseman

    Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay

    Alan Nakkash

    Leah Nash + Christopher Onstott

    Dan Nelken

    Lee Nelson

    Bob Newman

    Nancy Nicols

    Faith Ninivaggi

    George Nobechi

    Emeke Obanor

    David Pace

    Christos Palios

    Marcy Palmer

    Mark Parascandola

    Sirous Partovi

    Stephen Petegorsky

    Mark Peterman

    Shaun Pierson

    Walter Plotnick

    Austin Pope

    Betty Press

    B. Proud

    David Pruden

    Andre Ramos-Woodard

    Jennifer Ray

    Shawn Records

    Astrid Reischwitz

    Suzanne Revy

    Daniela Rivera Antara

    Selina Roman

    Susan Rosenberg Jones

    Nassima Rothacker

    Meg Roussos

    Joe Rubino

    Claudia Ruiz Gustafson

    John Sanderson

    Miranda Schmitz

    Wendi Schneider

    Kennady Schneider

    Ben Schonberger

    Sam Scoggins

    Safi Alia Shabaik

    Stephen Sheffield

    Agnieszka Sosnowska

    David Steinberg

    Mirjam Stenevik

    Zachary Stephens

    Simone Strijk

    James Stukenberg

    Riel Sturchio

    Amrita Stützle

    Dawn Surratt

    Krista Svalbonas

    Daisuke Takakura

    Jerry Takigawa

    Tokie Taylor

    Rashod Taylor

    Hugo Teixeira

    Mirja Maria Thiel

    Andrew K. Thompson

    Amanda Tinker

    Brandy Trigueros

    Ada Trillo

    Aaron Turner

    Kelda Van Patten

    Kristina Varaksina

    Pep Ventosa

    Erin Harper Vernon

    Melanie Walker

    Ge Wang

    Arin Yoon

    Shigeru Yoshida

    Rana Young

    Qiyong Yu

    Tariq Zaidi

    Alena Zhandarova

    Chiara Zonca

    Ion Zupcu


    And congratulations to the twelve fantastic MFA students who were awarded scholarships to Critical Mass this year: Granville Carroll, Kevin Claiborne, Karen Dias, Erick Jonathan Guzman, Dylan Hausthor, Mathew Jessie, Dawn Kim, Cassandra Klos, Epiphany Knedler, Lindley Warren Mickunas, Alex Turner, and Will Warasilla. All 12 photographers will also go on to be juried in the finalist round!


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  5. In 2019, Photolucida was able to offer a new Critical Mass award made possible by a generous endowment gifted to us by the Luminous Endowment for Photographers – an organization created by the late Michael Reichmann in 2007 to foster current and anticipated photography projects. Photolucida is excited to continue Michael’s legacy by providing this opportunity to emerging photographers.


    We caught up with last year's recipients to see how their projects were coming along now that nearly a year has passed, and despite the world being very different than it was when they received the grant, we found that they are all continuing to work on the projects that inspired Photolucida to support their endeavors! 




    "I’ve been documenting my daughter and nieces for about six years. Primarily it’s a record of them growing up together and all the nuances of kinship and connection that pass between them. Over time, as the girls started to mature, they became aware of the lack of positive imagery of girls of color. Cousins is about their relationship to each other, but it makes us happy knowing that the images can contribute to filling that void in representation."



    "There is something deeply frustrating about being an artist and not being able to control your vision of the presentation of your work because the cost of supplies is prohibitive. 


    I went to my very first portfolio review in April 2019. My first reviewer was Jessica Roscio, the curator of The Danforth Museum, and an all around lovely human. Months later, Jessica invited me to be a part of a beautiful group show she was curating called Family Circle at The Danforth - an amazing opportunity! More surprising was that she was interested in hanging 15 images. I was floored. Underneath my excitement and gratitude, was panic. I had no idea how I would ever be able to afford 15 quality frames, let alone how I would be able to frame them in a style that I felt best complimented the images. During this time I was blown away to become a Critical Mass 2019 Top 50 winner. Shortly after, I learned I was also one of three Michael Reichmann Project Grant awardees. I cannot tell you how many times I put my hand on my heart and thanked the forces of magic that helped bring these incredible opportunities my way. The grant money quelled my anxiety around framing concerns and I ordered 15 simple, modern, muted gold frames to showcase my Cousins series the way I envisioned."


    "I’m not denying that my hard work and abilities helped set me up for these accolades. I care very much about my work, about my daughter and nieces who the work documents and that I am thoughtful about what and where I enter, and who I chose to share my works-in-progress with.


    But talent and hard work without access can fall short. I was often very nervous to speak about lack of access in the photo world. I often feel like an outlier at openings where people are discussing home renovation projects, or summer homes when I’m secretly trying to figure out if I can afford decent summer camp for my daughter. I prefer to be transparent about it now, because I know I’m not alone."



    "I am deeply, earnestly grateful to Photolucida for offering this grant that, for me, leveled the playing field and allowed me to participate equally and directly. I’m thankful for the jury who looked through a huge amount of excellent work and went back to mine anyway, to take another look.

    Love and thanks to you Photolucida!!"



    Casey Jackson


    "My project, Zarek: A Family's Journey, is a long term documentary about my family's ongoing journey in raising my youngest brother Zarek. Zarek has battled numerous medical and behavioral conditions since birth. Diagnosed with Autism, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, and severe allergies, his life has been anything but easy. 



    "New challenges present themselves every day. He is completely dependent on others. These challenges have thrown my family into a world of constant struggle, stress, and devastation that has drastically altered the structure of our family for both better and worse."



    "Recently I have moved back close to home not only to help my parents with Zarek but also to dedicate more time to this project as it has become such a significant part of my life. It’s been a rewarding and eye-opening experience that I know will continue to shape and mold me as a brother, son, and person."



    "Receiving the Michael Reichmann Grant was such an honor. This grant gave me a huge boost in motivation to keep shooting, especially since I had not submitted this work anywhere else before. After more than a decade of working on this story I have started to slowly get it out into the world through shows and open calls.The grant money has been a huge help with covering the associated costs. I can't thank Photolucida enough for supporting me and this project."



    Annie Tritt


    "Nearly 50 percent of transgender youth will have at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday. Globally, a transgender person is murdered every 29 hours. Visibility is one of the strongest tools we have to prevent this."






    "In my project, Transcending Self, I am photographing transgender and gender expansive youth ages 2-20 and sharing their stories. Transcending Self is a critical project not only for the transgender community, but for all of us. Challenging existing narratives about identity works toward building a world in which all people are freer to be come their true, complex selves - a world in which difference is embraced and validated rather than marginalized and repressed. "





    "I was completely shocked when I found out that I had received the Michael Reichmann Grant. More than anything, it helped me believe again in my vision and the possibility of making this project work. Working on a long term series requires not only finances but also the internal resources and validation to know that your vision matters and that people care. The grant funds were a help to me, but so was the belief in what I'm doing. I'm eternally grateful."







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  6. David Chickey - Publisher and Creative Director Radius Books
     

    David Chickey is the Creative Director of Radius Books, a non-profit publishing company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico that focuses on photography and fine art monographs. Chickey co-founded Radius Books in 2007 while working as a graphic designer and curator in various capacities in the art world. Radius publishes 15-20 titles a year and donates copies of each book to school, pubic and university libraries across the country, especially targeting rural and under-served libraries.

     

    Since its founding, Radius has been recognized with multiple design and publishing awards. Recent and forthcoming titles include monographs by David Maisel, Colleen Plumb, Allison Rossiter, Kyle Meyer, and Debi Cornwall.






    Susan Edgley - Executive Director, Texas Photographic Society


    Susan Edgely, the Executive Director of the Texas Photographic Society has an extensive background in corporate finance, working for several Fortune 500 companies in a professional capacity. In addition to her knowledge of business process and administration, Susan is an accomplished photographer, writer, editor, and graphic designer.

     

    The Texas Photographic Society has over 500 members from 42 states and 8 countries. Founded in 1984, TPS supports its members and community by offering exhibitions, publications, workshops and mentorship programs. Guest curators/speakers/exhibitors have included Natasha Egan, Arthur Meyerson, Jamey Stillings, Lisa Elmaleh, Kate Breakey, Jasmine DeFoore and Sarah Sudhoff.








    Gianluca Gamberini - Publisher,  L’Artiere Edizioni

     

    L’Artiere Edizione was founded in 2013 by Gianluca and Gianmarco Gamerini in Bologna, Italy. They specialize in photography books characterized by the high quality of materials, careful craftsmanship and tactile design decisions, as well as producing exemplary special editions. Part of the book production process is the pairing of different curators and designers with photographers with the intent of encouraging collaborative, careful aesthetic choices. A photographer himself, Gianluca comes from a lineage of photobook publishers.

     

    Monographs by Michele Borzoni, Carolle Bénitah, Hitoshi Fugo, Andrea Modica, Larry Fink, and Amy Friend have been recently produced by L’Artiere – a very international/diverse roster of published artists.








    Markus + Angelika Hartmann, Directors + Publishers, Hartman Projects + Hartmann Books


    Based in Stuttgart, Germany, the exhibition and artist agency Hartmann Projects was founded in 2014, and Hartmann books followed in 2016. Markus + Angelika represent artists internationally, working with institutions, galleries, collectors, publishers and the media. They seek out artists whose work they feel is persuasive and relevant and expose it to the public though exhibition, media and publishing. They believe in coincidences and the power of pictures to help overcome cultural, religious, and political boundaries.

     

    Hartmann Books publishes 10-12 titles a year, ranging from Landscape and Portraits, to Urban Architecture and Contemporary History and Politics.






    Zora J Murff, Co-Curator, Strange Fire Collective


    Zora  Murff is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Arkansas. He received his MFA from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and holds a BS in Psychology from Iowa State University. Merging his educational experiences, Murff uses his practice to highlight intersections between various social systems and photography. He has published books with Aint-Bad Editions (PULLED FROM PUBLISHER) and Kris Graves Projects.

     

    Murff is also a Co-Curator of Strange Fire Collective, a group of interdisciplinary artists, writers, and curators working to construct and promote an archive of artwork created by diverse makers.








    Caterina Mestrovich, Associate Director, Atlas Gallery


    Photography specialist Caterina Mestrovich is the Associate Director at the Atlas Gallery in London. She co-curates the extensive exhibition program (approximately 6 shows per year) and represents the gallery at major international art fairs such as Paris Photo, Photo London, Photo Shanghai, Art Miami and AIPAD New York. Born and raised in Venice, Italy, Caterina grew up with a love for art, and followed her passion to London in 2012, where she gained experience at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips. She holds degrees in Art History and Psychology.

     

    Atlas Gallery houses extensive holdings of work by 20th century masters as well as representing a diverse range of contemporary photographers.






    Adam Monohon, Curatorial Assistant, Center for Creative Photography

    Adam Monohon is a scholar and curator of photography committed to promoting equity in the cultural heritage sector. He is privileged to work with one of the most significant resources (270 archival collections) of photography in the United States. The CCP is recognized as one of the world’s finest academic art museums and study centers for the history of photography. In addition to the archival collections, the Center also actively acquires individual photographs by modern and contemporary photographers.

     

    Monhan is interested in photography as it relates to feminism, queer theory, photographic materiality, and contemporary East Asian photography.



    Molly Newgard, Executive Director, Blue Sky Gallery


    Molly Newgard has been involved as a patron and professional in the Portland arts community for the last 20 years, after stints in San Francisco, Chicago, and LA. A native of California, she graduated with a BA in French literature and Art History from UC Davis and received an MA in Modern Art History, Theory and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Molly spent a decade as an adjunct assistant professor of Art History, teaching courses including the History of Photography at Portland State University and PNCA, and the prior three years in the education department at the Portland Art Museum.

     

    Founded in the 1970’s in Portland, Blue Sky hosts 20-25 exhibitions annually, supporting both emerging and established artists that exemplify the finest in photographic vision and innovation, earning the accolade “the best record of discovering new photographer of any artist’s space in the country.”


        


    Maarten Schilt, Founder, Schilt Publishing + Gallery

    Schilt Publishing is based in Amsterdam and publishes high profile journalistic, documentary, and art photography books. They also serve as the long-term publishing partner of FotoFest in Houston. Photographers published or being published by Schilt Publishing are (amongst many others):  Ally Alegra, Fred Baldwin, Jodi Bieber, Geert Broerjes, David Chancellor, Sergey Chilikov, Kirk Crippens, Odette England, Anna Fox, Cig Harvey, Vivian Keulards, Diana Matar, David Pace, Martin Parr, Ekaterina Solovieva, Wendy Watriss, and Donald Weber.

     

    In 2014, Schilt Gallery opened its doors, a logical next step which provides an even broader basis in the international photography world. Since then dozens of shows have been produced with emerging as well as acclaimed photographers from all over the world.





    Emily Sheffer, Founder, Dust Collective


    Dust Collective, founded in 2017 in New England by Emily Sheffer, publishes handmade photography books that focus on themes of time, weather, landscape, space, the history of photography, and alternative photographic processes. Dust Collective both designs and publishes original titles and also reaches out to artists who make their own books and show those as well.

     

    A recent publication titled Tide and Air features the work of Danielle Dean, Alyssa Minahan, and Barbara Bosworth. The images speak of the passage of time and the photographic qualities of air and water. Another recent title is from Kyra Schmit titled Coastal Matter, and Emily just finished a book of her own work, A Short History of Cyanotype.




    Anette Skuggedal, Founder, Lumina Gallery

     

    For the last decade, curator Anette Skuggedal has been working in the photographic arts, after founding PUG OSLO/Lumina Gallery in Norway. The gallery promotes photographers who push the boundaries of contemporary art and practice creative integrity and excellent craftsmanship: Sally Mann, Roger Ballen, Arno Minkkinen, Elin Hoyland, Luis Gonzales Palma, and Joel Peter Witkin (among others). Anette has designed, produced, and published books and catalogs for represented artists.

     

    Lumina Gallery has a new and challenging project called Lumina Projects, which was started to give recognition and guidance to emerging talents.






    Tracey Woods, Independent Photo Editor/Producer
       

    Tracey Woods is an award-winning photo editor, producer and consultant who has produced editorial and branded content for a variety of brands including: Essence, Bon Appetit, InStyle Specials, and Wiley Publishing. She has conducted portfolio reviews, participated on panels and judged photography contests for American Photographic Artists, American Society of Media Photographers, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Eddie Adams Workshop, New York Times Portfolio Review, NYC Fotoworks, Palm Springs Photo Festival, Photo District News and the Society of Publication Designers.

     

    She holds an MFA in Photography from Pratt Institute.     












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  7.  

    Photolucida is excited to award 25+ copies of the newly published Keeper of the Hearth: Picturing Roland Barthes' Unseen Photograph to Critical Mass finalists this year! At least 25 finalists will be awarded a copy of this critically acclaimed great new monograph in response to the work they entered in Critical Mass. We can't wait to send these out at the end of the summer when finalists are determined!


    Cover image: Bill Jacobson - Thought Series #2571, 1998

    Forty years ago, the French literary philosopher Roland Barthes published his small book Camera Lucida (La Chambre Claire) – an ode to photography, death and his beloved mother. In his book, Barthes describes a picture of his mother as a child sitting in a winter garden. He found the snapshot shortly after she died, leaving him melancholic about her loss, but reflectively grateful as well. The book is illustrated with several photographs, but the picture of his mother is not included. Like the mystery of this missing photograph, Barthes’ intimate writing draws readers in, and masterfully examines the two interpretive axis of studium (denoting the cultural, linguistic, and political interpretation of a photograph) and punctum (denoting the wounding, personally touching detail which establishes a direct relationship with the object or person within it). In the end, Barthes presents a case for photography’s seemingly intrinsic relationship to both memory and death.

    In 2017, artist and educator Odette England was living in Harry Callahan's house in Providence, Rhode Island, utilizing his former darkroom, working on her PhD dissertation and reading Barthes' writing. She was inspired to start a project based on The Winter Garden photograph - aptly titled The Winter Garden Photograph Project and she knew she wanted it to be collaborative. She invited more than 200 photography-based friends and colleagues - artists, curators, writers, historians - to contribute an image or text that pays homage to Barthes' unpublished snapshot. Odette received a spectrum of responses to the idea - including a variety of processes, mediums, vintage/found photographs, and newly-made photographs. Stereo photographs, Polaroids, contact sheet clippings, backs of photographs, photographic murals planted in fields, shredded photographs that morph into  sculptural form. Some of the photographs had accompanying stories. And thus, Keeper of the Hearth was published (Schilt Publishing, 2020).*


    Vintage Image: Collection of SARA MACEL

    Sara Macel: I do not believe it is hyperbole to say that this photograph contains the story of my entire existence and is probably the reason I became a photographer. To quote Barthes: "It exists only for me."

    You see, the bride's name is Anne. She was my father's college sweetheart and my mother's college roommate.  This photograph is from her wedding to my father in 1970. Anne died during childbirth five years after this photograph was taken. A year after her death, my father married my mother, the bridesmaid in the reflection. And five years later, I was born.

    For my mom, this photograph functions as the Rosetta stone to her life: unknowingly waiting in the wings to marry Anne's husband to raise Anne's daughters as her own, and to become my mother. For me, this photograph exemplifies photography's inescapable connect to death and the role photographs play in re-imagining our pasts in search of meaning. And yet, it haunts me.  

    Contributors ask: What comprises memory? What comprises truth? What is subjective, what is objective? Many voices weigh in both visually and through bits of creative writing: Rememberances of the ultra-sound image of an unborn child. A significant quote from Sigmund Freud. A newspaper clipping from the local police blog accompanies a photo as the title: "Disturbances: 12:27 a.m. - An out-of-control teenage girl at a South Amherst home was calmed down by police. She was just frustrated with her parents." Even a polite letter of refusal to participate in the project is published - and it totally makes sense and makes one re-think the entire project. Viewers of the book can pull forth personal associations, identify with specific images, and work backwards if one likes - it is dense with layers to slowly pull apart and re-visit. The contributor index at the back of the book has one making name/image associations based on educated guessing.


    Here is Odette England in conversation with J. Sybylla Smith - they talk about the development of the project, making space for each image, the difference between a photobook vs. an anthology, and the evolution of the book's layered and specifically amorphous design process.

      PHIL CHANG - Winter Garden Unfixed, 2017 (M+B Gallery)
     
    MARK KLETT - First Photograph, September 1952 / 2017 (Courtesy Henry N. Klett Jr.) 
    ROSALIND FOX SOLOMON: Remembrance. Salvador Bahia. Brazil, 1980. (Bruce Silverstein Gallery)

    KRISTINE POTTER - Kris, 2017



    Keeper of the Hearth: Picturing Roland Barthes' Unseen Photograph (Schilt Publishing, 2020). Foreword by Charlotte Cotton, essays by Douglas Nickel, Lucy Gallun and Phillip Prodger.  Design: Cara Buzzell. 320 pages, approximately 200 images. 





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  8.  
    The Critical Mass Print Collecting Initiative is back as part of our programming this year! We are so pleased to be offering these images from Matt Eich and Priya Kambli as part of Critical Mass 2020 - all 200 Finalists will receive their choice of a special-edition signed print. Matt and Priya have been the recipients of previous Critical Mass awards, and we are excited to be producing a limited edition number of these images with each of them!*



    ©Matt Eich - After the Joplin Tornado (Hymnal), Joplin Missouri, 2011. From the series The Invisible Yoke, Volume IV: We the Free

    MATT EICH is a photographic essayist based in Charlottesville, Virginia and an Assistant Professor at the Corcoran School of Art & Design in Washington, DC. His long-form work over the last decade hinges on what could be considered the “human condition", exploring themes of family, community, faith, race and socio-politics - especially that of the American South and Appalachia. Specific story slants include the effects of the coal industry, opioids, and conservative politics on these rural communities. Matt quietly embeds himself in these stories for the long haul, investing in long-term relationships and placing great importance on empathy. His work illustrates the intimacy and resiliency of his subjects, overshadowing the visual backdrop of poverty or loss.
     

    Matt has exhibited widely, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Aaron Siskind Fellowship, two Getty Image Grants for Editorial Photography, and the Critical Mass 2017 Rauschenberg Residency award. His work has appeared in multiple publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harpers, National Geographic and TIME. Eich is a prolific photobook-producer, with some of the best titles (we think!) ever: Carry Me Ohio, Sin and Salvation in Baptist Town and I Love You, I'm Leaving. And - Matt's latest publishing endeavor just out! Check out The Invisible Yoke - Volume III: The Seven Cities (Sturm and Drang, 2020), edition of 800.

    More on Matt Eich's process and personal history here on Southbound.




    ©Priya Kambli, Soha (Flour Pattern on Back), 2017 from the series Buttons for Eyes

    PRIYA KAMBLI was born in India, migrating to the United States at age 18. She completed her BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Louisiana, and then her MFA in Photography from University of Houston. She has been a Professor of Art since 2000 at Truman State University in Missouri.  

    Priya's experiences as a migrant have shaped much of her photographic practice, pushing her to visually explore issues of cultural identity and expression, the difference between real and constructed memory, and the nuances of genealogy. Her titles of various bodies of work (Color Falls Down, Kitchen Gods,“Mami” (Uncle’s Wife), Buttons for Eyes) are apt signifiers of her personal and cultural history. Priya's use of everyday kitchen ingredients (such as flour, rice and tumeric) add layers of meaning in the most literal yet ethereal way. She crafts natural light into it's own language; it somehow becomes the elegant glue holding elements of her collages together. 

    Priya was a recipient of a Critical Mass book award, and Color Falls Down was published in 2010. Solo Exhibitions venues include Silver Eye Center for Photography, Center for Photography at Woodstock, Houston Center for Photography, PRC at Boston University, and SF Camerawork. She received the 2018 ADA Collection Award for Women Documentarians and has been added to the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University, and was awarded a fellowship from the Teti Photography Fellow Program in 2019. 

    Check out a recent conversation between Priya Kambli and Michael Kirchoff on Catalyst Interviews.
     

    * The Critical Mass Print Initiative is generously sponsored by Hahnemühle + Pro Photo Supply. We are over-the-moon excited to be printing on Hahnemühle's Fine Art Photo Rag Paper for this project!



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  9. The Lishui Photography Festival took place November 8-12, 2019 with the theme A New Start from Lishui – and as one of China’s premier photography festivals, it continues to strive to promote (and preserve) academia, internationalism, and collective action as part of its programming. The five-day event includes an opening ceremony, a themed exhibition, international seminars, artist-in-residence programs, cultural tourism product fairs, online and offline interactions, and a closing ceremony. According to the statistics of the Lishui Photography Festival organizing committee, a total of 5,021 photographers from 108 countries have applied to participate in Festival exhibitions.

    Guo Jing, both a Photolucida Critical Mass juror and a Reviews Event reviewer, was invited to organize exhibitions at the Festival. She, along with her Shangtuf colleagues, invited 70 photographers from more than 50 countries to participate in a number of exhibitions.

    Four group exhibitions at Lishui highlighted the work of international photographers, including several Photolucida participants:  Scenery (DM Witman, Minny Lee, Carol Isaak, Robert Dash, Adriene Hughes, Martha Ketterer), Photography Beyond its Tradition (Georgina Reskala), Pictorial Portrait Exhibition (Angelee Wilkerson & Jana C. Perez, Richard Tuschman, Patty Carroll, Melissa Lynn, Vanessa Filley) and Me and My Family (Anita Hamrehoen, Michelle Rogers Pritzl). Two solo exhibitions did the same - Threaded Icebergs (Adriene Hughes) and La-Luna-Los-Cabos (Martha Ketterer).

    Thanks to Guo Jing for the wonderful curatorial efforts and the installations images below!



    Martha Ketterer
    DM Witman & Adriene Hughes
    Minny Lee & Carol Isaak
    Robert Dash



    Georgina Reskala


    Angelee Wilkerson & Jana C. Perez
    Richard Tuschman

    Patty Carroll


    Melissa Lynn

    Vanessa Filley




    Anita Hamrehoen
    Michelle Rogers Pritzl




    Adrienne Hughes
    Adrienne Hughes



    Martha Ketterer
    Martha Ketterer



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  10.  I have just arrived back home after a fantastic journey to China, all thanks to Photolucida!  

    In September I got an invitation from the Chinese curator Guo Jing, whom I met at Photolucida’s Reviews event in April, to exhibit some of my work at the 2019 Lishui Photo Festival in November as part of the exhibition Me and My Family. Short notice, but still doable and fun! So - I got my plane ticket organized and traveled for about 15 hours by plane before changing to fast train for a bit more - the 3 hours from Shanghai to Lishui. And just to be clear, this is a wonderful way to travel in China. Great people, great service and super-easy to figure out.

     arrived just in time to Lishui to participate in the opening ceremony of the festival and it resembled something like the Oscars perhaps.  A little bit bizarre, a bit funny, but made with a good heart. And many, many, many speeches. Great fun! More than 5000 photographs were shown during these festival days, and I must admit it was impossible to see them all. There is simply not enough time and I would suggest they prolong the festival period for a few days at least. All the exhibitions were so beautiful and done in very different ways. Some in modern buildings, some in big museums, others in old traditional historic buildings - there was exceptional photographic work from all over the world. This festival is supposed to be the biggest in China, and it certainly seemed so.  And, thankfully, the Festival provided tour arrangements for all international visiting photographers.

    In addition to seeing a lot of great work, one of my favourite things about festivals is connecting with fellow artists, making new friends and also reconnecting with old ones. Also, the opportunity to see how work is presented and exhibited so far away from one’s home is a real inspiration. The Lishui Festival is doing a fantastic job in presenting photography in so many different venues: in museums, outdoor locations, building sites and historic villages outside the city. It really was so much fun to explore. I was lucky to have Lin Lin, a translator who could help guide me through the different places, since most of the local people and the Chinese photographers visiting the festival did not speak English. In many locations, there were no presentations of the exhibitions in English.


    Still, everyone I met was just incredibly friendly, nice and kind and I felt deeply welcome wherever I went. A great reminder that we are all much more alike than we are different. Traveling makes us see this more clearly. I think I fell a little bit in love with China and the people during what feels like an extremely short time. I am so happy to have been part of this wonderful festival this year and very grateful for this experience. Travel is connecting with other cultures and people, and it is a brilliant reminder that we are mostly the same all over the planet. I will one day return to China. 

    PS: I have chosen not to mention politics from an international perspective. The Lishui Festival was for me a community of photographers gathering together, about connecting with people from around the world, and about the universal language of photography which we can all understand regardless of where our home is.    - Anita Hamremoen



      




     Lin Lin was my interpreter during my stay in Lishui. Now she is my friend. This selfie that she took is done the "Chinese" way. They all use filters for every photo they take. She told me no Chinese woman would share an image that was not showing us flawless. So here we are, completely fake, but beautiful.

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CONNECT
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