The Boca Raton Museum of Art’s newly created Photography Forum has been established to present the work of emerging to mid-career artists working in the ever-changing medium of photography. With nearly 1,600 important historical photographs in the Museum’s collection, it is important to look at how the medium has evolved and where it stands today.
Abstract photography gained appreciation and recognition as a realm for experimentation in the early 20th century. Throughout the second half of the century, the medium was re-defined by new technologies and formats, most notably color photography and subsequently large-format printing. Representational photography remained dominant until the past few decades. The birth of digital photography – and the tools that accompany it, such as scanners, Inkjet printers and Photoshop – engendered a new generation of photographers.
Three distinct voices in a milieu of artists, Daniel Gordon, Paul Kneale, and Florian Maier-Aichen are redefining a moment when everything started to change. Gordon (b. 1980 Boston, MA, raised in San Francisco, CA) studied at Bard College and received an MFA from the Yale School of Art; he lives and works in New York City. Kneale (b. 1986 Brantford, Canada) studied in Toronto before receiving his MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art in London; he lives and works in Toronto, Canada and London. Florian Maier-Aichen (b. 1973 Stuttgart, Germany) studied in Germany and received an MFA from UCLA; he lives and works in Cologne, Germany and Los Angeles.
Working between traditional photographic methods and altered digital techniques, collectively the exhibition explores the similarities between photography and painting. Reflecting the ongoing dialogues surrounding the nature and progression of contemporary photography – this forum acts as a conversation between the participating artists. While the medium of photography has shifted with the advent of new technologies, these artists use the traditional methods as a starting point. At its core, the exhibition serves to both substantiate and deepen the transcendent form and vital impact of photography today.