Brian Arnold on the
36th Annual Photography Show
Brian Arnold
Brian Arnold is a photographer, educator, and musician based in Ithaca. He has undergraduate degrees in English and Ethnomusicology from Colorado College, and an MFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art.
His photographs have been exhibited in China, France, Indonesia, Italy, and the United States, and are included in a number of important museum and library collections.
He has received a number of important grants and residencies.
He has taught and lectured about photography at a number of prestigious institutions in the United States and abroad.
Top Award
Kathy Morris
I found this the most surprising and unique work in the show. The prints have very interesting textures and physicality, and the collage narratives are both clear and mysterious. The artist’s intentions seem well manifested but the narratives still open for the viewer to discern.
Judges Awards
Sofia Sterbenk
This is really great documentary work! The compositions of the pictures are very interesting and unexpected while still providing a great deal of information about the people portrayed (I love the softly focused cheese in the foreground!). The pictures evoke great ideas about class in contemporary America, but still feel timeless.
Bridget Burns
This piece is a great example of news ideas created by using archives or appropriated photographs. The piece evokes interesting questions about gender, power, identity and time. The hole punches are a great touch because I can’t tell if they were done recently or were part of the original archiving of the contact sheets.
Connie Thomas
This is really creative work with interesting and ambitious ideas about history and narrative. The photographs demonstrate strong technique and clear visualization.
If she continues with this idea, I would consider some other types of images or figures she can bring to these collages. I am reminded of the work of Abelardo Morell, particularly the photographs he made to illustrate Alice in Wonderland.
Honorable Mention
Isabella Bastos
This picture was a delightful surprise. The photograph shows great technique with really wonderful colors and light. The image is whimsical but still with substantantive ideas about gender. The composition is perfect, from the blue chair and curtain and the wood of the table to the wonderful accenting of the woman’s legs.
