I had the pleasure to witness a wonderfully orchestrated exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography a week ago called Digital Darkroom. I wrote a news article on the Space when I was attending Santa Monica College when the place first opened in 2009 and I was excited at the chance to go back and see what photos they chose to adorn their walls this time.
This particular exhibit involved seventeen artist showcasing their inimitable talents with the use of "different digital techniques: compositing highly layered imagery, working in 3D and lenticular images, [and] using lighting in highly inventive ways.." Being an enthused photographer myself, I was thoroughly blown away and was caught reminding myself to breathe amidst all these images.
The exhibit showcased photographers Josef Astor, Pierre Beteille, Joel Grimes, Ted Grudowski, Claudia Konin, Chris Levine, Bonny Pierce Lhotka, Brooke Shaden, Mike Pucher and a slew of other talented artists. However, a few artists stood out in my mind -- namely Brooke Shaden, Pierre Beteille, and Jerry Uelsmann -- who were able to capture reality in a lens that induced it with imagination and a Tim Burton like eerie surrealism.
I was particularly blown away when I read the various photographers biographies. I am at a fork in the road in my own life and it is the dreaded post grad limbo period every college kid bewails thinking about. When I read biographies about people who inspire me, I always gain some sort of insight not only on how they positioned themselves in such a desired vocation but also try to relate it to my own life questions. I was pretty surprised to read that many of these photographers fell into these positions by chance. Happenstance and luck have guided these renowned photographers to their current profession, which gives this worried post grad a little hope. I don't know what I want to do with my life and it seems my English degree in hand won't shed any light on such a puzzling question. It just sits there, staring at me, furtively laughing at me and the amount of money I paid for it to mount ever so gloriously on my wall. Anyways, I digress. The point I am trying to make is this: Reading those biographies gave me hope about my future. It is okay for the time being that I don't know what I want to do with my career. Some things just fall into place and evolve your life into a pleasantly unrecognizable state. I may have an English degree, but that doesn't mean a job in photography or music or film or any other field that doesn't pertain to my degree won't fall into my lap and take full force.
Second point I want to make: Go to the Annenberg Space for Photography. For all you Los Angelinos with mothers you adore (or don't adore for that matter but respect the fact that she housed your naked sea monkey self in her uterus for nine months), take her there for Mothers Day. There's free food, fine art and pictures will be taken of you and your mom to commemorate the day.
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