Over the past few months I have had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a new photography collective in Baltimore.  We call ourselves in (parentheses) and recently had our inaugural show at Case{werks} gallery in Baltimore.  Late this summer J.M Giordano sent me an email asking if I would consider being a founding member of a group whose goal would be to increase Baltimore’s exposure to contemporary photography.  Not quite sure what he had in mind, but curious, I said yes.  I joined fellow photographers Dean Alexander, Marian Glebes, Jill Fannon and Josh Sisk for our first meeting where we started to brainstorm what this could look like.  Eventually we came up with the following manifesto and a concept for our first curated show.  Fields of Vision is that first show.  As founding members and collective curators we decided to do a survey of contemporary work.  Each of us taking on a particular genre of photography.  We got a great write up in Baltimore City Paper also!  What follows the manifesto are some images from the show as taken by Regina DeLuise, professor at MICA and contributor to the show.  Enjoy and be sure to drop by the show, it will be hanging until Jan 5th 2012!

IN (PARENTHESES) – A MANIFESTO

IN (PARENTHESES) are artists working with and for artists.

IN (PARENTHESES) perceives a void in the current local cultural landscape that must be filled by encouraging the discourse and exhibiting of contemporary photographic and imaging media producers.  A community will be engaged, via IN (PARENTHESES), in meaningful dialogue surrounding the themes and issues of contemporary work, creating a photographic forum exploring what the image has the potential to be, as an object, as an idea, and as a tool for communication.

IN (PARENTHESES) maintains that created images and their contexts require exposure and discussion with the public and peers: locally, nationally, and internationally.  Because photography today reflects a significant cultural zeitgeist, IN (PARENTHESES) values diverse programming and exhibition opportunities for community participants and artists, in an order to expand on inherent contemporary motifs across multiple photographic traditions.

IN (PARENTHESES) values the eyes and minds of the public audience.

IN (PARENTHESES) will establish a continuing venue dedicated to contemporary photography and imaging media.

from left: Marian Glebes, Dean Alexander, Jill Fannon, J.M Giordano, Josh Sisk

contributing artists:

Milana  Braslavsky
Mark Alice Durant
Aiden Simon
Laurie Snyder
John Wood
Regina DeLuise
Julie Denesha
Monica Lopassay
Rita Minissi
Matt Roth
Edward J. Winter
James Luckett