Constructed Mythologies: Luis González Palma

SDSU Downtown Gallery, October 17, 2019  – January 26, 2020

Constructed Mythologies: Luis González Palma celebrated this prolific and influential Latin American artist, who is well known for an expansive practice investigating the cultural identity of his native Guatemala, sociopolitical constructs, and spirituality to convey complex emotions that define the human condition. His approach is layered with religious iconography, poetry, magical realism, and physical interventions, as well as bold colors and shapes referencing art historical movements. Presenting a selection of artworks spanning two decades, the exhibition captures the evolution of González Palma’s work from formal portraiture and tableaux to his most recent explorations in abstraction, inviting viewers to experience a new way of seeing and feeling.

We Are Here/Estamos Aquí

SDSU Downtown Gallery, July 27 – October 29, 2017

We Are Here/Estamos Aquí features the use of photography as a mode of storytelling and agent for social change through images depicting the dynamic social aspects of the U.S./Mexico border. Downtown San Diego is situated less than 20 miles from the international border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry; the busiest land border crossing in the world. We Are Here/Estamos Aquí looks at 2,000 miles of our southern border from Texas to California as a place where lives are shaped.

Photographers included in the exhibition are Stefan Falke, Ingrid Hernandez, Tom Kiefer, Pieter Wisse, and Borderclick, a group of young artists connected through San Diego non-profit, The AjA Project.

All Natural

SDSU Downtown Gallery, April 20 – July 16, 2017

All Natural presents seven artists who are working with natural materials or naturally occurring elements to create their finished pieces. Exploring the fringes of photography, sculpture and painting, and intersecting with notions of sustainability, the exhibition highlights ways that each individual extends beyond boundaries to produce provocative and experimental results. Artists in the exhibition include Stephanie Bedwell, Jennifer Anne Bennett, scott b. davis, Roman de Salvo, John Oliver Lewis, Jessica McCambly, Meghann Riepenhoff.

Cathedrals: Jeff Ray

SDSU Downtown Gallery, April 6 – June 12, 2016

Cathedrals was a site-specific, multi-sensory installation by San Francisco Bay-area artist, Jeff Ray. The exhibition continued Ray’s exploration of the intersection between nature and architecture. As an artist, he reimagines familiar surroundings and structures such as cathedrals and coastal bunkers as monuments, taking us on a journey from reality to imagination. Cathedrals paired photographic and video works with original music compositions by Jeff Ray. The selection of pieces chosen for Cathedrals consisted of work made from 2010 – 2016.

Playful Interactions

SDSU Downtown Gallery, May 18, 2015 – June 15, 2015

Playful Interactions shared the work of three San Diego artists who use interactivity as a way to engage visitors. Featured in the exhibition are Dave Ghilarducci, Rizzhel Mae Javier, and Margaret Noble. Through varying approaches and art-making techniques, each artist’s work deals with ideas of self-reflection, identity, memory, and an individual’s place in society.

After Ansel Adams

Museum of Photographic Arts, May 17 – Sept. 28, 2014

The work of Ansel Adams continues to inspire contemporary photographers working today. After Ansel Adams presented a selection of original photographs by Ansel Adams that show the immense beauty of National Parks of the American West, alongside the work of nine contemporary photographers who have photographed in this same landscape.

In addition to Ansel Adams, photographers included in the exhibition: Mark Klett & Byron Wolfe, Binh Danh, Chris McCaw, Donna J. Wan, Michael Lundgren, Millee Tibbs, Matthew Brandt, and Takeshi Shikama.

Kevin Cooley: Elements

Museum of Photographic Arts, Oct. 19, 2013 – Feb. 2, 2014

Elements was the first solo museum exhibition from Los Angeles-based artist, Kevin Cooley, whose work looks closely at how perspective can influence the perception of our surroundings. Cooley, who has gained national acclaim for his photography and video work, creates pieces that investigate the intersection between the natural environment and our relationship with it. Minimalist and contemplative in nature, the two videos selected for Elements envelop the viewer in suspended narratives, provoking nostalgia and wonder. Each piece of information given by the artist adds a new layer to the viewer’s experience, building anticipation and tension.

Staking Claim: A California Invitational

Museum of Photographic Arts, Oct. 8, 2013 – Jan. 26, 2014

This original exhibition was the second installment of a triennial series showcasing the talent of and diverse scope of photographic work being done by photographers living within the Museum's home state. Sixteen different artists, all of whom reside in California, are featured in the exhibition and all of the work has been created within the past five years. The artists are both established and emerging and the variety of work is as varied as the state of California itself. Staking Claim: A California Invitational  embraces the digital medium but also remains true to, and in some cases reinterprets, traditional photographic processes.  

30x: Three Decades

Feb. 2, 2013 – Oct. 13, 2013

Museum of Photographic Arts

In 2013, MOPA celebrated 30 years as a museum in Balboa Park dedicated to exhibiting photography, film, and video. Prior to MOPA’s founding in 1983, it existed as the “Center for Photographic Arts,” a nonprofit organization created in the early 1970s which exhibited and promoted photography as an art form. Since its founding, MOPA has presented dynamic world-class photography exhibitions in San Diego and built a world class photography collection. 30x: Three Decades highlights one acquisition from each of MOPA’s 30 years, showcasing a selection of influential figures in the history of photography, including works by Alexander Rodchenko, Loretta Lux, Thomas Struth, Lee Friedlander, Robert Adams, Marian Drew and other influential artists

Eyes of a Nation

Museum of Photographic Arts, Feb. 11 – May 13, 2012

Eyes of a Nation: A Century of American Photography, drawn from MOPA’s permanent collection, is a look at the rich history of American photography by artists working in the 1870s-1970s. Eyes of a Nation explores the groundbreaking movements and photographers who helped shape photography at an important time in the development of our country. The exhibition presents an important story of American photography focused on social reform, artistic expression, and the dramatic political and cultural changes experienced during that time. Eyes of a Nation explores the aesthetic growth of photography as it developed into an art form, while presenting the unique power of the medium to document and inform visitors with compelling images.

Unusual Suspects: Paintings and Photographs by Holly Roberts

Museum of Photographic Arts, Feb. 4 – May 6, 2012

Unusual Suspects showcased the work of Holly Roberts, an artist who challenges our expectations of photography and the possibilities of the medium. Initially working as a painter, Roberts began to explore photography as a way to create studies for her paintings. In 1980, while living on the Zuni reservation in New Mexico, Roberts started painting directly on her photographs. This approach transformed the photographs from straightforward images into rich objects merged within paint. She masterfully brings together ideas of mortality and birth, longing and comfort, spirituality and humanity, disguised by humor or through a lighthearted aesthetic.

Streetwise: Masters of 60s Photography

Museum of Photographic Arts, Feb. 4 – May 6, 2011

Streetwise: Masters of 60's Photography builds on what Swiss photographer Robert Frank began with his new "snapshot aesthetic," which was brought to the foreground with the domestic release of his ground breaking book The Americans, in January 1960. His focus on a more personal documentary style would influence a new generation of photographers: Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, Jerry Berndt, Ruth-Marion Baruch, Garry Winogrand, Bruce Davidson, Danny Lyon, and Ernest Withers.