Alternatives 2023: Images as Object

Image as Object: Alternatives 2023

Juried by Deborah Orloff

Exhibition: Jan. 24-Feb. 17, 2023
Juror Talk: Thursday, February 16, at 5pm, Mitchell Auditorium
Reception in the gallery directly following the talk.

An International Photo Biennial
Hosted by the Photography + Integrated Media Program in the School of Art + Design at 91̽��

Featuring a range of image making practices under the umbrella term of photography, this show is on display in the 91̽�� Art Gallery in Seigfred Hall, January 24 through February 17. A closing reception and artist talk by juror Deborah Orloff, is scheduled for February 16 at 5pm in Mitchell Auditorium.

The exhibition, which sought submissions that considered the ‘objectness’ of photography, features the work of forty-one juror-selected artists. Each piece explores the artist’s thematic interpretation, the physical manifestation of that which can’t otherwise be pinned down — the tangible in the intangible.

The exhibition features artists working broadly within the spectrum of image-based media, including conventional and non-traditional photographic processes, moving images and installations.

Exhibiting Artists:

Simone Wicca, Anton Kuehnhackl, Carmelo Amenta, Enrique Rosas, Jeff Evans, JP Terlizzi, Lynn Bierbaum, Marshall Ransfield, Paul Gravett, Travis Dodd, Allen Morris, Bekah Alviani, Christine Osinski, Federica Armstrong, Jesse Ly, Katie Prock, Mara Magyarosi-Laytner, Morgan Ford Willingham, Savannah Calhoun, Veronica Leto, Anastasiia Kulikalova, Candice Marie Inc, Daniel J. King, Hattie Phillips, Jessica Buie, Lalana Fedorschak, Marcus Newton, Nathan Matteson & Barbara Raid, Sharon Draghi, Yiyun Chen, Ania Moussawel, Cara Lee Wade, David Ondrik, Hyacinth Schukis, Jon Feinstein, Liam Kalae Keanini, Mark Schoon & Casey McGuire, Nicholas Warndorf, and Sue Palmer Stone.

Juror: Deborah Orloff ()

Exhibition Statement

It was truly an honor to jury this year’s Alternatives exhibition. The breadth and quality of the submissions were extraordinary. I was especially impressed by the inventiveness of artistic approaches, and the variety of styles and media submitted. In choosing pieces for the show, I mainly considered how individual works related to the theme, aesthetic qualities, and originality, but I am always interested in artwork with strong communicative characteristics. I was also looking to curate a cohesive exhibition that represents the pulse of contemporary photography and the latest trends in lens-based artwork; ultimately, these were the pieces that spoke to me.

Background

Originally from New York City, Deborah Orloff moved to Ohio to accept a teaching position at the University of Toledo. She is currently a tenured Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Art where she is also Head of Photography & Digital Media. She received her MFA in Photography from Syracuse University and her BFA from Clark University. Although her primary medium is photography, she has also worked in video and installation. Her artwork has been included in numerous exhibitions at national and international venues which include: the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Toyohashi Museum of Art & History in Toyohashi, Japan, The Museum of Fine Arts in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, and the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland. Orloff's ongoing series, Elusive Memory, was recently selected for inclusion in the Museum of Contemporary Photography's Midwest Photographers Project. Deborah Orloff has been the recipient of dozens of grants and awards including corporate sponsorship by Hahnemühle Paper, the Ohio Arts Council’s 2019 Individual Excellence Award, and the University of Toledo’s 2021 President’s Award for Excellence in Creative and Scholarly Activity.

Original Prospectus

Submission period has ended for this exhibition, and our juror is now working to review and make selections. More details for participants can be found below.

Through the means of photography and visual media, we commemorate — a moment, a place, a person, a thought, a feeling, a concept. We work to recuperate and reimagine memories, dreams, and facades. How do photographs and their ‘object-ness’ suppose to memorialize that which is otherwise always in flux? What are we trying to hold onto, if anything, in our images?

Alternatives sent out a call for submissions of poignant works that explore the artist’s interpretation of ‘image as object’, the physical manifestation of that which can’t otherwise be pinned down — the tangible in the intangible. Artists working broadly within the spectrum of image-based media, including conventional and non-traditional photographic processes, moving images and installations are welcome.

Exhibition will be on view in the Ohio University Art Galleries in Athens, Ohio.

Dates:
Accepted works notified by November 7, 2022.
Artwork must be received no later than January 14th, 2023.
Exhibition Dates: Jan. 24-Feb. 17, 2023