Pentti Sammallahti: The Two of Us

See selections from Berenice Abbott’s monumental photography project Changing New York that capture the rapid transformation of New York City in the 1930s. When American-born Abbott (1898–1991) returned to the United States in 1929 after an eight-year sojourn in Europe, she observed her home with a fresh appreciation and a conviction to capture what she called “the spirit of the metropolis.” As she wrote of Manhattan, “The sweep of one’s vision can take in the dramatic contrasts of the old and new and the bold foreshadowing of the future.” Abbott’s Changing New York series includes over three hundred black-and-white photographs featuring a range of subjects—modern skyscrapers, as well as harbors, highways, city squares, neighborhoods, storefronts, and hand-painted signs—that capture the essence of a specific time and place. The artist’s steadfast vision for this unprecedented undertaking was funded by the Federal Art Project, a part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, with selections later published in a book to coincide with the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Abbott’s photographs changed the course of photography in the twentieth century and are a reminder of the excitement and joy ignited when seeing the world anew. Image: Metropolitan Life Building, New York (detail), ca. 1935 © Berenice Abbott/Getty Images, Courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York.

Over the last three decades, the Loeb has made it a priority to add works by artists of color to the collection as part of our pledge to create and sustain a welcoming space in which difference is celebrated. Reflecting our commitment to diversifying the collection and fostering the exchange of ideas, enriching experiences, and varied perspectives through art, six exemplary works in several mediums including photography, painting, prints, and collage, have been selected. Ranging from the 1920s to the twenty-first century, these works represent a small selection of over one hundred works by Black artists that have recently been added to the collection. These works are also featured in the recent publication, Making & Meaning, which brings together highlights from the Loeb’s permanent collection and commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of this building and 160 years of collecting at Vassar College. The beginning of the collection dates back to Vassar’s founding, making it the first American college or university to include a museum in its original mandate. The publication is an opportunity to critically examine the collection and its formation over time, as well as its relationship to teaching and learning on campus. Support for Spotlight is provided by Mary Ellen Weisl Rudolph ’61, P ’98 and James N. Rudolph P ’98. Image: Malick Sidibé, Malian, 1936-2016, Nuit de Noël (Happy Club), 1963, Gelatin silver print, Purchase, Advisory Council for Photography, 2011.21.3 © Estate of Malick Sidibé

Koslov Larsen is pleased to present Sun to Earth, the gallery’s third solo presentation by artist Brenda Biondo. Combining several series of Biondo’s works, Sun to Earth introduces new ways of looking at common subjects while challenging viewers' perception of color and three-dimensional space. The works explored throughout the show focus on atmospheric phenomena and other ephemeral components of the natural world. Unnatural (Texas Tumbleweeds) and Prairie Wheels study the interconnectedness of humans and flora, inspired by the iconic tumbleweed, an invasive species brought inadvertently to the United States in the 1870s by Eastern European settlers. Influenced heavily by James Turrell’s Skyspaces, Perceptual Skies emphasizes the limitless potential of light as a subject and the subjectivity of perception. Biondo states, “Using a visual language that deconstructs the sky portion of the landscape helps articulate questions about how we engage with our environment and the emotional and psychological effects natural light has on humans.” The images in the series follow the formal aesthetics of modern painting, particularly minimalism, while emphasizing the ambiguity between the real and the reproduced. Image: Open Skies, 2023 © Brenda Biondo

The bustling metropolises of Paris, London, and New York stand as iconic symbols of human civilization, each with a unique cultural, historical, and architectural identity. Photographers have long been drawn to these cities, seeking to capture the vibrant rhythms and intricate patterns that define urban life. This exhibition delves into the works of photographers who use these cities as their subjects, exploring the interplay between the rhythms of the city, the patterns it weaves, and the dynamic relationship between architecture and inhabitants. Image: Robert Doisneau, Le Garde et les Ballons

Etherton Gallery is excited to debut a selection of photographic portraits of distinguished, historically Black, “one-percenter” motorcycle club members by Alanna Airitam in the exhibition, Alanna Airitam: Black Diamonds. The term “one percent” refers to a comment allegedly made in 1960 by a former president of the American Motorcyclist Association, that 99% of motorcycle clubs were law-abiding citizens, implying the last one percent were outlaws. Black Diamonds opens April 9 and runs through June 22, 2024. Work by artist Jeremiah Armenta, will be on view In the Cases. Armenta is a builder of custom motorcycles, a craft that serves his other great passion: wandering the world and documenting his adventures, interactions and meditations with a camera. “I am proud that Etherton Gallery is the first gallery to exhibit Alanna Airitam’s portraits of Black “one-percenter” motorcycle clubs. I have been in business for 43 years, and it is rare to find someone who creates a body of work that is original, powerful, and refined, all at the same time. I am also excited to showcase the work of Jeremiah Armenta -- both artists are examples of the deep well of talent in Arizona right now,” said Terry Etherton, Gallery Director and owner of Etherton Gallery. In the series Black Diamonds, Alanna Airitam sets out to recover the complex historical narrative of Black “one-percenter” motorcycle clubs through portraiture, embarking on a unique project that will ultimately take her across the United States. Some of the original members of the clubs are passing away, taking their personal stories with them, and lending an urgency to her project. Most of the historically Black, one-percenter motorcycle clubs were established by veterans of the Korean War to create a brotherhood and a safe space where they could enjoy the freedom and independence of the road, and share their daily struggles with one another. The exhibition at Etherton Gallery will present fifteen, 30 x 40 inch photographs selected from Black Diamonds, and highlights Airitam’s portraits of members of Chosen Few MC from the Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas (Sin City), Long Beach, and the San Fernando Valley (SFV) chapters. These images by Airitam, who grew up in Texas and now resides in Tucson, are a unique portrayal of a little known and extremely private culture. They are among the most remarkable representations of Black men for their directness, elegance, and allusion to and rejection of, the magisterial gaze of European and American landscape painting. None of the work in the exhibition has ever been on public view. Her compelling depictions of this unique community reveal Airitam’s commitment to visualizing the untold stories of Black history in America. Portraits of Chosen Few’s members such as Boss Mike, Chosen Few NOMAD President, 2023 invite us into the recently deceased leader’s private space – his garage. As NOMAD President, Boss Mike was the most senior leader within Chosen Few, and arbitrated disputes among the club’s various chapters. Boss Mike wears his Chosen Few leather vest and patches, and stands planted behind his gleaming, custom motorcycle with his back turned to a monumental landscape printed on a scrim. Airitam has lit the garage to mimic the techniques used in the landscape, and used the trappings of royal portraiture to demonstrate Boss Mike’s power. Standing in line with a great oak tree, Boss Mike’s dress, stance, direct gaze, and the setting communicate his authority. Chosen Few is also among the early and few integrated “one-percenter” clubs, which Airitam illustrates in J Town and Youngsta, Chosen Few, Phoenix, 2023. However, as Airitam’s image suggests, younger members presented in this image, lack the history and experience so evident in Boss Mike’s portrait. English Max, Chosen Few, SFV, 2023, is a portrait of Max Presneill, the Director and Curator of the Torrance Art Museum, who consulted with Airitam at the beginning of the Black Diamonds project. Ultimately, Airitam’s portraits startle us not only for the window they provide into a history we knew little of and a geography we thought we knew well, but because they are thoughtful images by a photographer with unusual perception. In the Cases artist Jeremiah Armenta was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where he resides to this day. As a teenager he traveled from Arizona to Hawaii to Montana, eventually crossing the country as a passenger in a semi-truck. At age 18 he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Mildenhall, England. It was here that he discovered the one thing that brought stillness to his nomadic life: photography. After his military service ended Armenta returned to Arizona, married his high school sweetheart and received his bachelor’s degree in photography from Arizona State University. He was awarded the Howard G. Buffet Scholarship to create a photo documentary about children living along the southwest border of Arizona and Mexico. He developed two raw yet empathetic photo stories on children living in the harshest environments. After graduating from ASU, Armenta worked as a staff photographer at the Arizona Republic. During this time he rediscovered his passion for motorcycles, which were always in the background of his life while growing up. While awaiting the birth of his first child, he built a bike from the ground up. From that moment, Jeremiah’s love for motorcycles—building them, repairing them, riding them—pushed into all aspects of his life, taking him on daily journeys that recreated the feeling of unexpected adventure from his Air Force days. Armenta’s photography is inspired by—and owes a debt to—the artists and expeditionaries who pioneered chopper culture. It also connects him to them. He feels that connection when creating an original part for a chopper in his little studio, and he especially feels it when riding a custom bike on the wide-open road. Image: Boss Mike, Chosen Few Nomad President, 2023 © Alanna Airitam

Matthew Phipps' journey as a documentarian began at the age of 15 when he embarked on a series of travels that have taken him to more than twenty countries. Armed with his skateboard and camera, he immerses himself in diverse situations, capturing profound stories through his lens. Phipps' photographs showcase the wide range of human emotions and living conditions, highlighting both joy and suffering. He seeks out extraordinary situations in our complex world, diving deep into his subjects' lives, asking questions, and forming friendships while pushing himself visually and culturally. Phipps' work focuses on the truth, revealing the beauty in reality through complex scenes involving multiple subjects and visual planes. Image: The Rhythm Of Color, Guanajuato, GTO, 2023. © Matthew Phipps

Joseph Rushmore's "Commentary on the Apocalypse" series explores the theme of societal collapse in America. He is drawn to the myths, secrets, and passions of the streets, as well as the collision of apocalyptic fantasy and reality. Rushmore's photographs delve into extremism, religion, political upheaval, and daily life in middle America, capturing the uncanny world in which we live. His narrative is fractured and lost, depicting nightmares, revelations, and haunted beauty as the boundaries of place and time blur. As authoritarian tendencies become more apparent in mainstream America, Rushmore's camera focuses on the dehumanization that accompanies it. His images serve as a testimony to communal isolation amidst collective catastrophe. Image: All the Places a Prayer Could Never Touch, 2019. © Joseph Rushmore

Newcomers is the fourth iteration of The Silhouette Project, a recurring photographic series that illuminates the voices of adolescent and young adult refugees who have been uprooted and relocated due to extraordinary circumstances. Newcomers are young people who have fled their homelands for various reasons, such as war or poverty, or out of valid fear for their physical safety. They have lost their sense of time and place, missing out on months or years of education, arts, sports, friendships, and many more things that make up a normal life. Despite the unimaginable situations they left behind, Newcomers aspire to return home someday to restore their communities and help those who were unable to leave. Until then, they are here, among us, a marginalized community, too often hidden from mainstream society, even as they strive and struggle to adapt to it. Artist Dona Laurita’s visual exposé reveals the diverse situations that led these Newcomers to the United States. Although their backgrounds are vastly different, their stories share common themes of struggle and perseverance. Laurita recognizes these newly placed shadow voices from everywhere but here. By photographing in silhouette, she provides her shy subjects with a refuge of anonymity, creating a safe space for these young transplants to share their stories, their fears, and their dreams. With “Newcomers: The Silhouette Project”, Laurita uniquely and respectfully visualizes and humanizes a segment of society who, due to circumstances far beyond their control, find themselves strangers in a strange land. Through her compassionate lens, she offers a voice to the voiceless. Image: We Are Somewhere © Dona Laurita

SF Camerawork is proud to announce Ma-kan مكان, a solo exhibition with Ebti, a multidisciplinary artist, a self-taught photographer, and a translator living between Cairo and San Francisco. The exhibition will be on view at our Fort Mason location from March 12 through June 22, 2024. A public opening reception will be held on Friday, March 15, from 6-8 pm. Ebti and SF Camerawork will host a series of open studio visits at the gallery commencing March 1, where visitors and SF Camerawork community members will have the opportunity to learn about the artist's work in progress and witness Ebti's creative practice unfold in real-time. Additional programs and specific open studio dates are to be announced on our website at sfcamerawork.org., and via our email list. Ma-kan مكان means place in Arabic. Taken apart, the word ma-kan can also mean it was and is not. For her exhibition, Ma-kan مكان, Ebti will present a suite of site-responsive, photo-based installation works crafted from prints on fabric, projections, transparencies, and traditional paper prints. Using images, stories, and objects collected from her travels, home life, and the space itself, a narrative of perpetual departure, arrival, home, and homesickness unfolds.

Filter Photo is pleased to present, High Visibility (Blaze Orange), a solo exhibition of work by Jaclyn Wright. High Visibility (Blaze Orange) uses debris collected from improvised gun ranges on public lands to create photographic installations that explore the impacts and material traces of late capitalism and settler colonialism on the landscape of the U.S. West. Through the use of original images, archival photographs and maps, and performances, the work shows the crucial role photography plays in codifying land use. The work explores how these codes manifest themselves in behaviors observed in Utah's West Desert. Much of the West Desert, the ancestral home of the Goshute people, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is classified by the U.S. Government as "public lands." While the term "public" implies land open to all use, significant acreage is privately leased for mining and cattle ranching. The West Desert is located on the western side of the Great Salt Lake. The Great Salt Lake is rapidly drying up due to drought, population growth, and water diversion for agriculture. The leasing of public land, capitalist water use, and human-caused ecological change are linked to the drying of the Great Salt Lake, threatening millions of migratory birds and those who live in Salt Lake City. Nearly one-third of the West Desert's 7.7 million acres are used as biological and chemical weapons testing grounds. The remaining areas of the West Desert are open to various uses, including improvised gun ranges. I see this land use as rooted in settler colonial, patriarchal, and capitalist systems that perpetuate ideologies undermining egalitarianism and environmentalism's goals. The work incorporates the color of the most conspicuous type of debris found in the West Desert on these ranges—blaze orange clay pigeons. These aerial targets are painted a highly saturated and synthetic orange, "blaze orange," to ensure they stand out against the sky on a clear day. The contrast produced between these complementary colors enables shooters to track the unnatural target more easily against the natural landscape. I am interested in the unequivocal struggle between the natural world and its codification by bureaucrats, the visible and invisible, and the inherent ironies of playing out fantasies of freedom and nativism on stolen land.

The Presence of Absence masterfully navigates the depths of human experience post-conflict, using evocative photography and film to challenge societal perceptions and ignite a transformative dialogue on grief, memory, and empathy. The Presence of Absence is a long-term body of work that include two photographic projects and a film. In the exhibition at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, viewers can see select photographs from N.O.K: Next of Kin and a segment of the Four Mothers film. This work focuses on grief, trauma, healing and human cost of conflict. As a veteran, a mother, an immigrant, and a daughter of North African parents, Inbal Abergil explores how the portrayal of grieving women from different cultures powerfully motivates changes in the way we remember. N.O.K: Next of Kin documents the effects of war on Gold Star families. Abergil traveled through the U.S. to meet with Gold Star families whose relatives were killed in action in World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. She documented their methods of coping with death by preserving their loved ones’ personal effects. In the film Four Mothers (an ongoing project), four Gold Star mothers discuss how to continue living after war. On view is the story of Scoti Domeij. Through photographs, testimonies, and video, Inbal Abergil offers a space for peace, healing, and a way to share the story of a community of survivors who keep the memories alive as they strive to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of loss. Image: Ortega © Inbal Abergil

n the summer of 1942, during a yearlong fellowship in Washington, D.C., Gordon Parks photographed government worker Ella Watson across the varied landscape of her daily life. The resulting picture story presents Watson—a custodian, the head of a household, a deaconess at her church—as a vital figure within the civic sphere. At the same time, this intimate series reveals Parks’s experiences in coming to terms with the segregated city he once embraced as “the seat of democracy.” This exhibition brings together nearly sixty photographs from their partnership and draws its title from one of the most celebrated photographs of the 20th century—an iconic portrait of Watson that Parks later titled “American Gothic.” Most importantly, it proposes new grounds for understanding Parks as an artist and activist, highlighting a unique professional collaboration between two Black federal employees at a crucial juncture in United States history. Organized by Mia and the Gordon Parks Foundation. Image: Gordon Parks (American, 1912–2006), American Gothic, Washington, D.C., 1942 © Gordon Parks