Light Work has announced the 2021 Transmedia Photography Annual exhibition of photographs by seniors from the art photography BFA program in the Department of Transmedia in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Dan Lyon, “Purgatory,” 2020, courtesy of Light Work
The exhibition will run through March 4 at Light Work. As Light Work’s galleries remain closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic, patrons are encouraged to exhibitions online and participate in online events.
The exhibiting artists are Sam Bennett, Li Chen, Kate Hall, Torian Love, Dan Lyon, Neva Knoll, Jillian McHugh, Natalie Richard, Alana Swaringen, Bailey Thurmond, Sarah Vinette and Ally Walsh.
Gregory Eddi Jones, founding editor and publisher of In the In-Between, served as juror and selected images for Best of Show and Honorable Mention awards. Dan Lyon was awarded Best of Show, and Honorable Mention honors were awarded to Kate Hall, Sarah Vinette and Ally Walsh.
Ally Walsh, “Untitled,” 2020, courtesy of Light Work
“There is a tense anxiety in many of these photographs, and for good reason, given the turmoil of the world in recent past and the uncertainties of the future,” says Jones. “Questions of ‘Who are we?’ ‘Where are we coming from?’ and ‘Where are we going?’ are programmed into nearly all forms of critical photographic inquiry, and the work of these students is no exception.”
“The annual Light Work exhibition is always an important experience for students working toward their senior thesis projects,” says Laura Heyman, associate professor of art photography in the Department of Transmedia and coordinator of the art photography BFA program. “These projects are yearlong (and sometimes longer), in-depth photographic explorations of a self-chosen topic. In the process of working through their ideas, students often experiment with form and concept, and the projects change considerably over the course of the year.
Kate Hall, “Untitled,” 2020, courtesy of Light Work
Heyman says the Light Work exhibition is both a moment students begin to materialize their research more concretely and a professional opportunity to have their work presented in a setting that’s widely known and well-respected. It’s also a great demonstration of the relationship between the art photography program and Light Work, as students have spent a good part of the past three years there, working in the lab, attending exhibitions and artist lectures, and often working with the artists in residence.
“Over the years, art photography student projects have covered an incredible range of subjects, from deeply personal explorations of self and family, to topics like local environmental disasters and our current political landscape,” says Heyman. “This year is no different, but the Light Work exhibition feels more important than ever as a marker and in recognition of the amazing work our students are doing under very difficult, complicated circumstances.
Sarah Vinette, “Untitled,” 2020, courtesy of Light Work
Jones, this year’s juror, is a photographic artist, writer and publisher living between Philadelphia and New York City. He holds a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology (2010) and an MFA from Visual Studies Workshop (2016). In addition to his photographic practice, Jones has contributed writing to Afterimage, Foam, LensCulture, Paper Journal and Unseen Magazine. He is the founding editor and publisher of In the In-Between, an independent platform for 21st century photography.
