Filter Photo is pleased to present Re/member/construct, juried by Lisa Volpe. Join us for a public reception concurrent with our other exhibitions, we like small things v.2 and Next, on September 28th, 6 – 9 pm during the 2018 Filter Photo Festival and Expo Chicago’s Art After Hours.

“When I taught History of Photography, to both undergraduates or to graduate students, I always began the first session in the same way. I would write the word “photograph” across the board in large letters and then turn to the class to ask them what it meant. We often take that specific string of letters for granted and forget the complexity it represents. Despite the singularity of the word, the polysemous nature of it would quickly become apparent to the class. After all, “photograph” is a noun, often used interchangeably to describe both the tangible and intangible: an object that is held in the hand, and also an image held in the mind. It is a verb: the action of capturing an image, of preserving a singular moment. It is a linguistic sign: a word used as a metaphor for direct representation, truth, or accuracy. In semiotics, it is also the signified: both an icon and an index, a photograph refers to something beyond the sign. The complexity and diversity of photography is bound up in its very name. Similarly, the composite title for this exhibition— Re/member/construct—mirrors the variable nature of the photograph.

The work submitted for Filter Photo’s Re/member/construct reveals the breadth of photography today. Artists from across the country and across the globe submitted work reflective of the current state of the medium. The photographs chosen for exhibition were both technically and aesthetically strong, skillfully crafted and cohesive in statement. They tackle issues of identity, loss, presence, pain, and knowledge, their messages strengthened through their means and style. Photography is an incredibly complex field, but that character makes it the perfect vehicle for investigating complex issues. The artists represented here have not shied away from that challenge. In our current complicated culture, the “photograph” is more important than ever.”

Lisa Volpe
Associate Curator, Photography, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Participating Artists: Keliy Anderson-Staley, Federica Armstrong, Eric Bladholm, Stephanie Brunia, Yu-Chen Chiu, Francis Crisafio, Matt Eich, Bill Finger, Meg Griffiths, Robert Chase Heishman, Sarah Hoskins, Elise Kirk, Dominic Lippillo, Sarah Malakoff, Andy Mattern, Jeanette May, Jan McCullough, Diane Meyer, Marc Ohrem-Leclef, Toni Pepe, Jennifer Ray, Laurie Rubin, Kris Sanford, Matt Storm, Zachariah Szabo, Samantha VanDeman, José Velazco, Claire A. Warden, and Daren You

Image Credits: Jeanette May, Claire A. Warden and Stephanie Brunia

Exhibition Dates: September 21 – October 27, 2018
Festival Reception: September 28 | 6 pm – 9 pm
Location: Filter Space 1821 W. Hubbard St., Ste. 207
Gallery Hours: Monday – Saturday 11 am – 5 pm

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Tags: Andy Mattern, Bill Finger, Chicago, Claire A. Warden., Daren You, Diane Meyer, Dominic Lippillo, Elise Kirk, Eric Bladholm, Federica Armstrong, Filter Photo Festival, Filter Space, Francis Crisafio, Jan McCullough, Jeanette May, Jennifer Ray, José Velazco, Keliy Anderson-Staley, Kris Sanford, Laurie Rubin, Lisa Volpe, Marc Ohrem-Leclef, Matt Eich, Matt Storm, Meg Griffiths, Re/member/construct, Robert Chase Heishman, Samantha VanDeman, Sarah Hoskins, Sarah Malakoff, Stephanie Brunia, Toni Pepe, West Town, Yu-Chen Chiu, Zachariah Szabo