Framing Moments: Photography from the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Portraits to Self-portraiture
© Gordon Parks, American Gothic, Washington, D.C., 1942, gelatin silver print. Collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; Purchase: Acquired through the generosity of
an anonymous donor, 2012.45.
Written by: Makenna Karas
Photo edited by: Max Amos-Flom
It is generally understood that a photograph is a means of preserving a moment. We hold up the lens to the beautiful, memorable moments of our lives, freezing them in time. But what about the other moments? What about the dirty dishes and solemn faces? What about the difficult moments of our lives? They are no less important. They are no less vital to our stories. It is in honor of them that Wilkes University is displaying “Framing Moments,” a collection that the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts has been curating for the past sixty years to tell the full story, not just the shiny chapters, of the human experience. The exhibition will run through February 4, 2024.
There is an element of severity to the collection that cuts deeply through any preconceived notion that mundane moments lack depth or nuance. Sheila Pee Bright’s “Cotton” from 2019 underscores this with its used tablescape. Unlike the pristine table scenes of magazine covers or social media posts, this scene tells a story. No humans are in the frame, yet the room is stained with their presence. The utensils resting on the plates, the crumpled napkin, the pushed-out chair, all tell you that something happened, that someone was here. It explores the haunting nature of the traces we leave behind as we move through our lives, using dirty dishes and fallen crumbs as evidence of life. They are our remains, the ones that would still be resting on that table if we were to disappear the next moment.
Finding Meaning in the Object/Abstraction
© Sheila Pree Bright, Cotton (from the Invisible Empire series), 2019, archival inkjet print. Collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; Gift of the Artist, 2020.27.
Deepening/furthering its devotion to the preservation, the collection includes Berenice Abbott’s “Newsstand, New York,” an image that documents a metropolitan street corner circa 1935. Much like “Cotton,” nothing was conventionally remarkable about the scene at its conception. Yet, approaching a century later, it tells the precious story of a world gone away. The miniscule milkshake prices and antiquated advertisements ignite nostalgia for a life you never knew, a day you never saw but get to see now. The collection aims to unveil how that ability is made possible through photography. It is a moment forever framed for you.
The Land, The Street, The Neighborhood
© Berenice Abbott, Newstand, New York, 1935, gelatin silver print. Collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; Gift of Wm. John Upjohn, 1995/6.18.
The exhibition does not shy away from showcasing an aura of harsh reality that is inextricably bound to these raw moments of life. In “Georgia O’Keeffe” from 1956, Yousuf Karsh aims the lens at O’Keeffe as she exists within a space drenched with shadow. Dressed in black and sitting under mounted antlers, the shot oozes out mortality and grief, daring to portray a human doing anything but smiling in an era where shiny, happy appearances were the status quo, especially for a woman. In that way, it freezes life as it is, pushing back against the rosy hues of nostalgia that often color representations of eras long gone.
Artist as Subject
© Yousuf Karsh, Georgia O'Keeffe, 1956, gelatin silver print. Collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; Gift of the artist, 1971/2.26.
Through used forks, deceased newsstands, and authentic portrayal of the human experience, the exhibition inspires you to explore the power of authentically documenting the world in all its moments, not just the shiny ones.
