657 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
TEL: 415 512 2020
FAX: 415 512 7109
sfcamera@ sfcamerawork.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Event and Calendar Listing: Art Exhibitions/Photography/Film
Contact: Nina Sazevich, Public Relations
415.752.2483
nina911@pacbell.net
Photo credit: Mary Magsamen & Stephan HillerbrandThree New Shows at SF Camerawork This Fall
6 September - 17 November 2007
Opening Reception: Thursday 6 September 2007 @ 5 pm
SAN FRANCISCO – This fall, SF Camerawork presents three new exhibitions of contemporary photography and new visual media including There is always a machine between us, an interactive and evolving exhibit of work by artists around the world who use the Internet as source and inspiration; Tide, a solo exhibition of the work of Matthias Geiger, and the biennial show of work by the winners of the James D. Phelan Art Award in Photography.
All events take place at SF Camerawork, the Bay Area’s only non profit gallery dedicated to contemporary photography located in the heart of San Francisco’s vibrant downtown art scene at 657 Mission Street.
There is always a machine between us
(6 September – 17 November; Opening Reception Thursday, 6 September from 5 to 8 p.m.)SF Camerawork’s galleries become a global gathering place, a research lab and an ongoing experiment in visual communication this fall with There is always a machine between us, an interactive exhibit of work sourced from and inspired by the Internet.
In one gallery, visitors experience an evolving line up of artists’ projects that change every two weeks. Presenting artists include Lars Laumann, Mary Magsamen and Stephan Hillerbrand, Matt Wolf, Matthew Hughes Boyko, Ursula Biemann, and more. Additionally, an installation by collaborators Jeanne C. Finley and John Muse entitled Flat Land will be on view for the duration of the show. Flat Land explores the visual culture of men and women at war by looking at publicly available images of “Flat Daddies” (life-size photographic cut outs of individual soldiers that families at home can use as a stand in at the dinner table and beyond) and “Flat Stanleys” (small cut outs of a cartoon boy, sent by American school children on adventures around the world and sometimes to war-zones). In their installation, Finley and Muse project a slow rotation of Daddies and Stanleys on opposite sides of the gallery, inviting viewers to meditate on the deployment of these flat characters into the world.
In another gallery, visitors are encouraged to browse, chat and participate in a virtual art happening that extends beyond the walls and around the world, constantly growing as cultural producers and the public add new material and explore the artistic process together. Visitors can sit down to watch an ever-changing program of artist-created online videos, interviews, performances, studio tours and more. They can also chat with cultural producers around the world in real time and browse a visual library of material found on the web that informs the work of participating artists. In the gallery or back at home, the public can go online to view artwork related to the exhibit and can even upload video responses to it.
Organized by curators Kate Fowle, Karla Milosevich, Chuck Mobley, and Dan Orendorff, the show is designed to generate new material as it evolves. SF Camerawork will continually post notices of upcoming artist projects and chat opportunities taking place in the gallery on its website at www.sfcamerawork.org. Links will also be provided to the exhibit’s companion online pages. Visitors are encouraged to check the website frequently for updates and additions.
There is always a machine between us is supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation and Alexander Lloyd.
New Works Program
Tide – Matthias Geiger(6 September – 17 November; Opening Reception Thursday, 6 September from 5 to 8 p.m.)
Matthias Geiger’s Tide series concerns itself with the ebb and flow of people as they pass through time and place. Using a computer-based technique of layering the still images he shoots, Geiger erases the physical presence of the figures in his work, leaving just a trace of their forms in the landscape. These almost metaphysical presences haunt places of transit and places of momentary rest.
This presentation of Geiger’s Tide is part of SF Camerawork’s New Works Program, designed to foster the creation and presentation of work by notable emerging artists who explore innovative, and often challenging, visions through photography and related visual media.
The New Works Program is supported by a grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts.
2007 James D. Phelan Art Award in Photography – Geoffrey Ellis, Apollonia Morrill and Walt Odets
(23 October – 17 November; Opening reception Thursday, 1 November from 5 to 8 p.m.)
The James D. Phelan Art Award in Photography is a biennial award given in recognition of artistic achievements by California-born artists. Established by the Trust of James D. Phelan, former San Francisco Mayor, United States Senator and arts supporter, the annual competition in a variety of disciplines is sponsored by The San Francisco Foundation. SF Camerawork administers the photography award and displays selected works in its galleries.
This year’s winners were selected by jurors Daniell Cornell, Curator of American Art and Director of Contemporary Art Projects at the de Young Museum, and Lisa Dent, director of the Lisa Dent Gallery in San Francisco. Winners include:
Geoffrey Ellis – Ellis travels around the country, documenting forgotten and neglected objects and signs in our everyday lives, sharing with viewers the places they ignore or never see.
Apollonia Morrill – Morrill creates color site studies of places of transition and historic sites in flux including a series focused on San Francisco’s Castro Theatre.
Walt Odets – Odets has chronicled everyday America in black and white portraits and landscapes for 40 years.
All exhibitions are on view Tuesday – Saturday, 12-5 p.m. at SF Camerawork, 657 Mission St., Second Floor. Admission is $5; $2 for students and seniors; free to Camerawork members. For more information, the public should visit www.sfcamerawork.org or call 415.512.2020.
About SF Camerawork
Founded in 1974, SF Camerawork encourages emerging and mid-career artists to explore new directions in photography and related media by fostering creative forms of expression that push existing boundaries. Throughout its history, SF Camerawork has nurtured artists, mentored youth, and helped make San Francisco a destination for the exploration of photography as an artist’s medium. Its exhibitions are nationally recognized as a focal point for innovation, a pacesetter for new trends in the medium, and a launching pad for the careers of young artists. With three galleries and an education center at its new centrally located facility, SF Camerawork is the only non-profit organization in the Bay Area with an exhibition space and educational programs focused exclusively on contemporary photography and related visual image media. It is an accessible venue for people to view exhibitions, meet artists, participate in educational programs, peruse photographic publications, and gather for lectures, screenings, portfolio reviews, and discussions.
JPG images can be requested electronically. Please contact Nina Sazevich, Public Relations, at (415) 752-2483 or nina911@pacbell.net.
home | about | exhibitions | bookstore | events | membership | journal | mentoring | links Copyright 2007. SF Camerawork. All Rights Reserved. |