High Museum of Art | Truth Told Slant : Contemporary Photography
Zora J Murff (American, born 1987), American Mother, 2019, pigmented inkjet print,
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, purchase with funds from the Friends of Photography,
2021.109. © Zora J Murff.
The contemporary fashions of photography are wonderfully displayed at the High Museum’s stunning exhibition.
Written By: Max Wiener
Photography—the medium—is a living entity, constantly changing, growing, and adapting to the times. The shepherds of great image-making use their lenses to provide a cornerstone for the world around them. In our current world, we all have the potential to create something truly poignant. All of us are armed with cameras, and even a simple “phone eats first” moment before dinner can be the foundation of a societal conversation far deeper than what’s on the plate.
Rose Marie Cromwell (American, born 1984), In the Parking Lot, 2019, pigmented
inkjet print, courtesy of the artist. © Rose Marie Cromwell.
At the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Truth Told Slant: Contemporary Photography examines our current photographic world and provides stunning examples of the truth in our world. This isn’t straightforward documentary-style photography but a much rawer, personal approach to storytelling. The series features five photographers: Jill Frank, Rose Marie Cromwell, Zora J Murff, Kristine Potter, and Tommy Kha, all of whom understand the immense role they play in the world and the importance of their work. Through all five of these masterful artists, the scope of the American landscape, from immigration, racial inequality, sexuality, and the next generation of youth whose world is being shaped by our actions. With their images, we are brought deeper into our nation's psyche, educating us as if we are entirely new to the country. Truth Told Slant opened on March 1st and is scheduled to close on August 11th.
Tommy Kha (American, born 1988), Lotus (Family Style, No 1), Summer Avenue,
Memphis, Tennessee, 2021, pigmented inkjet print, High Museum of Art, Atlanta,
purchase with funds from Charles Jing, 2023.344. © Tommy Kha.
Many of the presented works seem to have an underlying sense of humor, adding a lighter poof of relief amidst the much heavier themes of the entire series. It’s a uniquely American perspective to take and certainly highlights the inner child in all of us. We see something, absorb it for what it is at face value, and then attempt to make light of the situation. Watching this be perfectly executed by wonderfully talented photographers only adds to the tremendous depth of the American zeitgeist. Jill Frank’s work especially leans into this approach, and her photographs Talent Show, Crying while Kicking (Noelle) and Cotillion, Boy with Bottle all have a beautifully individualistic sense of wit attached to them. It’s offbeat, quirky, and fun, and the children serving as the subjects both have a satirical whim about them. Frank suggests that to look for the truth in our society, we must look to the kids.
Jill Frank (American, born 1978), Talent Show, Crying while Kicking (Noelle), 2019, dye
coupler print, courtesy of the artist. © Jill Frank.
All five photographers give us a little piece of the puzzle of what it means to be an American, and right now, that seems to be more unclear than any other time in our nation’s history. No matter our political persuasion, gender, or upbringing, we are all citizens of America, and our struggles have more overlap than many people think. Let us all strive to find common ground to unite this country amidst this unruly chaos. Think of Jill Frank’s subjects. We at least owe it to them to leave them a proper nation for them to succeed.
Kristine Potter (American, born 1977), Troublesome Creek, 2016, gelatin silver print,
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, gift of the artist, 2022.54. © Kristine Potter.
