This past weekend, January 21st – 24th, Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP) had their ‘annual’ Exposure Weekend virtually, but with a little pandemic twist. This event had been scheduled for their usual time during the summer of 2020, but then we had a pandemic. Everything in California shut down. I still have a framed photograph at the LACP facility that was meant to be in a faculty exhibition that was opening just as the pandemic really roared in last March. So for the LACP Exposure Weekend a scrabble ensued and was rescheduled as a virtual portfolio review for January 2021. Make lemonade from lemons as they say.
I think everyone agrees that a virtual portfolio review, even when everyone is comfortable using Zoom, is just not the same as doing this event in person and showing actual prints. Even with a virtual event, there is still a connection made between the reviewer and the artist, but its a bit more impersonal over monitors and the opportunity to network with other photographers and the reviewers in between reviews is missing. I have found that personal networking is a really wonderful opportunity at past reviews. The up-side of a virtual review is the ability to complete these reviews from a distance without the travel expense of coming to Southern California, such that most of my reviews were with artists from outside of California.
Second is the missing opportunity to hold a print and evaluate the physicality of the print object. Nevertheless it was nice to preview the artwork before the actual discussion as the artists were required to provide a pdf of their portfolio before the event. I felt better prepared as a reviewer for our subsequent 1:1 discussion.
This pop-up mini-exhibit is not meant to be inclusive of everyone who participated in the LACP Exposure Weekend, but for those who choose to spend time with me as a reviewer. It will provide an insight into the breath and diversity of the artwork being discussed. As you might guess, frequently there were questions about publishing a book that came up during our discussions, which was my cue to mention that I will be providing my book development workshop with LACP, virtually this year, in March. Details below the exhibit.
It was very impressive for all of the thought, energy, concepts, and execution of the photography projects and related portfolios. I really enjoyed all of our discussions and the chance to connect with each artist even if it was virtually. I am also really looking forward to when we are able to meet in person again, hopefully soon.
I had the honor to spend time with the following artists, arranged in alphabetic order by first names, who are include in this portfolio exhibition: Annette Burke, L. Aviva Diamond, Deborah Kaplan, Eric Kunsman, Jacque Rupp, Krysia Lukkason, Matthew Finley, Matthew Welch, Maura Allen, Sam Elkind & Sheri Lynn Behr. If you are intrigued by their introductory portfolio photograph, I suggesting that you follow the link to the artist website and check them out. Cheers!
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Annette LeMay Burke ‘Snuggies, Remote and Buck’
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L. Aviva Diamond ‘Tiny Immensity No. 12 – Universal Cactus’
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Deborah Kaplan ‘Symbol Formation’
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Eric Kunsman ‘585-2669318, 585-2669394, 585-2669500, 585-2669885 1404 Norton Street, Rochester NY’
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Jacque Rupp ‘Maria – Fields of Kale’
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Krysia Lukkason ‘My California – Forgotten Fruit’
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Matthew Finley ‘Irregular Hexagon’
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Matthew Welch ‘The Strand Flow’
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Maura Allen ‘Crossing to Safety’
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Sam Elkind ‘Caught – Number 18’
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Sheri Lynn Behr ‘RS Grid’
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Host: Douglas Stockdale (American) is a multi-media artist, author/educator/coach, science-nerd, book-geek, occasional curator and the Editor of PhotoBook Journal, the contemporary photobook magazine. He is represented by Fabrik Projects (Los Angeles) and Adjunct Faculty for Los Angele Center of Photography (LACP) and Medium Photo (San Diego). He will sometime magically appear on Facebook and Instagram as well as on this art blog, Singular Images.
February 20th – March 20th 2021; Photographs’s Eye gallery, Escondido, CA, a solo exhibition of my Memory Pods series (lens-based photography). Exhibition reception February 20th, 3-7pm.
March 13-14th, 20-21st, 2021; Developing Your Creative Photo Book, a workshop that I am leading again in collaboration with Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP). Workshop dates are March 13 – 14th, and March 20-21st from 9am – noon PST. Four days, two consecutive weekends, a virtual workshop on Zoom, with time between sessions to develop your book dummy. Sign-up here.
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