Metaphors of Recent Times

Metaphors of Recent Times | A Dialogue of the Personal, the Political and the Cultural will feature a multitude of incisive visual perspectives based on diverse identities and backgrounds. We invite photo-based artists whose work raises awareness and provokes dialogue in alignment with the themes in PhotoAlliance’s INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 portfolio to submit, using the common ground of image as a tool for reflecting, sharing, and learning about issues faced in contemporary culture. We encourage submissions that are not just a historical view, but a portrayal of our times seen through individual perspectives.

Curated by PhotoAlliance founder and creative director Linda Connor, the portfolio INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 serves as the paradigm for this exhibition, which will be held at City Hall. Presented as 20 limited edition prints by local, regional, and international photographers, Connor envisioned INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 as a distillation of the creative responses artists have made to the upheaval seen in our political, cultural, environmental, and personal spheres in recent years. The works in INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 speak to the challenges, hope, and resilience that humanity faces as we grapple with profound issues ranging from Covid-19 to Black Lives Matter, from climate change to the new “culture wars,” and from ongoing struggles with ageism and sexism to mass migration. Nearly five years later, these themes remain urgent, making this call for entry a vital extension of the dialogue initiated by INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20.

This exhibition will be curated by artist, educator, and PhotoAlliance Board of Directors member Beth Davila Waldman

UBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Please review the INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 portfolio and submit a trio of 3 images for consideration, relating to each other and to the high level theme(s) of the portfolio. Jurors will select submissions that can be installed as a trio of images, in dialogue with work(s) from the INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 portfolio. We ask that you submit a brief statement, along with artwork information (title, year, media, artwork size, framed size, and retail price/NFS) for each image. Artwork must be delivered ready to hang with wire or D-ring hardware. Work does not need to be framed as a triptych. You are welcome to reference any particular image(s) from INSIGHT/INCITE 20/20 in your submission statement. Submissions of fewer than 3 images will not be considered.

Submission to this call is free of charge through the generosity of the San Francisco Arts Commission.