Best Photo Picks February 2022

By Elin Spring and Suzanne Révy

If you dare to brave the world again, there are a number of exciting photographic exhibits and events around Boston and beyond! We describe them here, arranged geographically for your planning convenience. As always, links to each show are included. Please be sure to check with venues about hours and health policies before you go. Circumstances can change rapidly, but hopefully in the right direction going forward. We wish you safe and inspiring February photo adventures!

BOSTON PROPER

“The Great Sphinx, Giza, Egypt (Small World),” 1992
© Martin Parr/Magnum Photos, courtesy of the McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College.

McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College – Martin Parr: Time and Place is the first major museum retrospective for the Magnum photographer, featuring over 135 works and an extensive collection of photobooks, curated by Karl Baden. With an emphasis on four decades of images from Ireland, photographs made throughout  Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia underline Parr’s signature documentary style of juxtaposing feelings of familiarity and alienation in a colorful and often humorous anthropological study of humanity. On view through June 5th, 2022.

For information about the exhibit and associated programming, go to: https://www.bc.edu/sites/artmuseum/exhibitions/parr/

“Welding Rebar at Winthrop Square” from the series Changing Skylines by Lou Jones, courtesy of the artist.

Mayor’s Gallery at Boston City Hall (5th Floor) – Spanning his years of documenting Boston’s construction boom, photographer Lou Jones combines unprecedented access with an ingenious eye in Changing Skylines, a project that tracks workers and sites being erected and razed, memorializing both the emerging and vanishing parts of the city. On view through February 28th, 2022.

For information, go to: https://www.boston.gov/departments/arts-and-culture/city-hall-galleries?fbclid=IwAR0nBvHsb_moKFiLLh0XcvvZ0__QvdJZVudSD9o9WKcmkwq6YhHvMX7fadY

“Bona III, ISGM, Boston, 2019” from the series Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance by Zanele Muholi, courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York and Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/ Johannesburg.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – Spanning galleries in both the historic and new building, Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance features B&W self-portraits from Zanele Muholi’s ongoing series Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness and selected portraits from Brave Beauties, depicting the artist’s South African chosen family. Muholi’s unique photographic vision conveys intimacy and vulnerability while challenging identity politics and validating Black queer identity. These works are accompanied by the artist’s new colorful paintings and bronze sculptures, along with poetic responses by Boston Poet Laureate, Porsha Olayiwola. On view from February 10th – May 8th, 2022.

For more information, go to: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/exhibition/being-muholi

From the exhibition Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black by Dawoud Bey, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black imagines the routes traveled by escaped enslaved people as they traveled nights through northeast Ohio seeking freedom. Bey’s low key moody prints carry viewers through marshes, dark woods, quiet back yards en route to Lake Erie. On view now in the Frances Vrachos Gallery / Mary Stamas Gallery (Gallery 148).

For more information: https://www.mfa.org/gallery/dawoud-bey-night-coming-tenderly-black

“Staghorn Sumac” 2021, from the series Impossible Diamonds by Diane Hemingway, courtesy of the artist and Panopticon Gallery, Boston.

Panopticon Gallery in Kenmore Square – First Look 2022 is the gallery’s annual juried presentation of portfolios “that employ the complexities of their subject, and provide context that gives it richness and meaning that is more than the sum of its parts.” Artist members of the Panopticon Imaging staff selected submissions by Diane Hemingway (above) and Miranda Schmitz, expressing metaphors for inner worlds, Allison Plass and Laurie Swope, focusing on the domestic sphere, and Bamby, “the empty nester” whose cinematic scenarios strain with emotional pathos. On view through March 28th, 2022, there will be an Opening Reception on Thursday, February 3rd, 2022 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

For more information, go to: https://www.panopticongallery.com/first-look-2022-1

“Nation” by Deana Lawson 2018, pigment print with collaged photograph, courtesy of the artist, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., NYC, David Korndasky Gallery, Los Angeles and the ICA Boston.

Institute of Contemporary Art – The first museum survey dedicated to the work of Deana Lawson comes to the ICA. Known for portraits featuring both family and strangers, Lawson employs a variety of photographic languages including the family album, studio portraits, constructed pictures and appropriated imagery to challenge conventions regarding representation of Black life. Her aim is to impart a sense of beauty, power and intelligence to the everyday experiences of Black Americans. On view through February 27th, 2022. 

To read our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/deana-lawson-at-ica-boston/

For more information: https://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/deana-lawson

“A Beautiful Day, number 39, 2020” by Arne Svenson from the series A Beautiful Day, courtesy of the artist and the Robert Klein Gallery, Boston, MA.

Robert Klein Gallery – In his latest series, A Beautiful Day, Arne Svenson restricts his picture making to two windows in his New York City apartment, one facing north and the other west. With this intentional constraint, Svenson creates inventive abstractions from the details, movements and gestures of those whose actions he can observe. On view through March 19th, 2022 by appointment.

For more information: https://www.robertkleingallery.com/

Man Ray, Untitled Rayograph (Gun with Alphabet Stencils), 1924, courtesy of Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

Also at Robert Klein Gallery – In an age where most of the images we see are composed of tiny pixels, The Fine Print presents a curated selection of seventeen vintage photographs by renowned master printers, including Man Ray (above), Ilse Bing, Paul Caponigro, George Tice, Edward Weston and Jerry Uelsmann. This collection celebrates a venerated tradition, offering viewers an intimate engagement with the rare beauty of exquisite darkroom prints. On view through February 15th, 2022 by appointment.

For more information and reservations, go to: https://www.robertkleingallery.com/the-fine-print

“Smoky Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis” Henry Horenstein, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Naga, Boston, MA.

Gallery Naga– LAST CHANCE! Henry Horenstein’s richly textured black and white studies of animals from his series Animalia will be on view through February 5th 2022.

For more information: https://www.gallerynaga.com

“Babydolls” by Diana Cheren Nygren, courtesy of the artist.

The Griffin Museum at Lafayette City Center – Once Upon a Time combines an enchanting exhibit with an invitation to viewers to write a story inspired by one of the dozens of photographs selected by curator Paula Tognarelli for their narrative possibilities. The writers have been selected, but not yet announced. Jurors for the writing, Cassandra Goldwater and Jill Frances Johnson, will award cash prizes at an in person reception planned for March 6th, 2022.

To read our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/once-upon-a-time-group-exhibit-at-griffin-museum-lafayette-gallery-in-boston/

For information about planned events, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/once-upon-a-time-photographs-that-inspire-tall-tales/

SOWA – Boston’s South End Arts District

“Palm Sunday Passion Play rehearsal, Boston, Mass., March 2002” by Lisa Kessler, courtesy of the artist and Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston.

Howard Yezerski Gallery – Issues of sexual violence and abuse of power sadly persist, giving Boston-based documentary photographer Lisa Kessler’s work enduring resonance. Heart in the Wound: Sexual Abuse from the Catholic Church to Civil Society dredges up the trauma and drama of Boston’s crisis of faith some two decades later. On view from February 18th – March 26th, 2022.

For more information, go to: https://www.howardyezerski.com/upcoming

CAMBRIDGE & SOMERVILLE

From the series In Gratitude by Rohina Hoffman, courtesy of the artist.

Bridge Gallery – LAST CHANCE! In partnership with the Social Documentary Network, the gallery presents Highlights from the 2021 ZEKE Awards. Gallery Director Greig Cranna has curated a selection of 19 submissions from all 100+ entries to the 2021 ZEKE Award to represent photographers from all parts of the world. On view through February 5th, 2022.

For hours and more information, go to: https://www.bridge.photos/shows

From The Harlem Gospel Choir series by Bill Chapman, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas, Boston.

Multicultural Arts Center – LAST CHANCE! In 2014, Cambridge-based photographer Bill Chapman went from diehard fan to official photographer for the Harlem Gospel Choir, channeling their power vocals, glorious sound, and infectious energy in his uplifting imagery. In his solo exhibit Gospel In Motion, Chapman presents twenty-five enthralling portraits of the choir in performance. On view through February 4th, 2022.

For more information, go to: https://www.multiculturalartscenter.org/gallery/

“Midnight from the Attic” by Joshua Sariñana, courtesy of the artist and Nave Gallery, Somerville.

Nave Gallery, Somerville – Co-curated by Susan Berstler and Iaritza Menjivar, From the Inside Out group exhibition features work that mines the shifting relationship between interior and exterior worlds during the restrictions of Covid, a time and circumstance giving artists pause for both reflection and new perspectives. On view through March 5th, 2022, there will be a Closing Reception on Sunday, February 27, 2020; 3:00 pm-5:00 pm.

For information, go to: http://navegallery.org/wp/from-the-inside-out/

THE BURBS

“Coshocton, Ohio” by Frank Armstrong, courtesy of the artist, Gallery Kayafas, Boston and the Fitchburg Art Museum.

Fitchburg Art Museum – In American Roadsides, we are treated to recent color imagery by veteran photographer Frank Armstrong, whose discerning eye and droll sensibility pinpoint cultural markers through revealing landscapes. Armstrong’s influence and legacy are further demonstrated by the inclusion of photographs by seven of his students: Russell Banks, Sarah Bilotta Belclaire, Rachel Loischild, Greer Muldowney, Jasper Muse, Eric Nichols, and Catherine Wilcox-Titus. On view from February 12th – June 5th, 2022.

For more information, go to: https://fitchburgartmuseum.org/american-roadsides-frank-armstrongs-photographic-legacy/ 

“Camera Obscura: View of the Landscape Outside Florence in Room with Books” by Abelardo Morell (American, b. Cuba 1948)

LAST CHANCE! The master of the camera obscura, Abelardo Morell comes to the Fitchburg Art Museum with Projecting Italy. Morell’s use of this ancient technique brings Italian vistas into sumptuous rooms to honor the twentieth anniversary of the Center for Italian Culture at Fitchburg State University. On view through February 6th, 2022. 

To read our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/projecting-italy-by-abelardo-morell-at-fitchburg-art-museum/

For more information, go to: https://fitchburgartmuseum.org/projecting-italy/

Barkley L. Hendricks, Self-Portrait with a Black Hat, 1989–2013. Digital c-print. © Barkley L. Hendricks. Courtesy of the artist’s estate and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

The Rose Museum at Brandeis University, Waltham – The painter Barkley L. Hendricks (1945-2017), renowned for his “tender and immaculate” life-size portraits of people of color, liked to refer to his photographs as “my mechanical sketchbook.” Barkley L. Hendricks & Photography highlights the significant role of photography in the artist’s practice, illuminating relationships between photographs, Polaroids, prints and paintings. On view from February 10th – July 24th, 2022.

For information about the exhibit and associated programming, go to: https://www.brandeis.edu/rose/exhibitions/2022/barkley-hendricks.html

“Racing the Storm” by Landry Major, from the series Keepers of the West, courtesy of the artist and the Griffin Museum of Photography.

Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester – Galloping through most of the museum’s galleries, discover a diversity of expressions regarding E. callabus: The Domesticated Horse in seven solo shows featuring work by Mary Aiu, Chris Aluka Berry, Anne M. Connor, Susan Irene Correia, Landry Major (above), Ivan McClellan and Keron Psillas Oliveira. On view through February 27th, 2022.

To read our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/e-caballus-the-domesticated-horse-at-the-griffin-museum-of-photography-winchester-ma/

For more information about this exhibit and associated programming: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/e-caballus-the-domesticated-horse/

“Flock together” unique Ziatype print from the series Garden Whimsy by Silke Hase, courtesy of the artist.

Also at the Griffin, Silke Hase’s solo show Garden Whimsy, featuring her delicate and wondrous Ziatype prints. On view through February 27th, 2022.

To read our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/silke-hase-garden-whimsy-at-griffin-museum-of-photography-winchester-ma/

For more information: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/garden-whimsy/

While at the Griffin, don’t miss the always interesting 12th Annual Self-Published Photobook Show in the Griffin Atelier Gallery, also on view through February 27th, 2022.

For more information: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/12th-annual-self-published-photobook-show/

“Karen” from the series and book Major Arcana by Frances Denny, courtesy of the artist and ClampArt, NYC.

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA– As a descendent of both the accusers and those accused of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, photographer Frances Denny explores the face of modern American witchcraft in Major Arcana, her series of portraits including healers, artists and tarot readers across a spectrum of identities and spiritual practices. Thirteen of Denny’s portraits are featured in an expansive show at PEM, “The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming” on view through March 20th, 2022.

For more information about the exhibit, go to: https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/the-salem-witch-trials-reckoning-and-reclaiming

ROAD TRIP!

Rhode Island

“The Yellow Stitch” from the series Homespun by Becky Behar, courtesy of the artist.

Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts (RICPA), Providence – For this year’s Women Behind the Lens series, RICPA engaged photographer and educator Emily Belz, who has curated the group show Stitches in Time, featuring the photographs of Becky Behar (above), Coco McCabe, Gail Samuelson and multi-media artist Michelle Peterson, along with work by printmaker and book artist Erin Sweeney. Capitalizing on a year of confinement to our homes, these artists explore the literal and figurative ties that bind us to family and home. On view from February 17th – March 11th, 2022, there will be an Opening Reception on Thursday, February 17th, 2022 from Noon to 6:00 pm to encourage safe distancing.

For hours, policies and information about the exhibit, go to: https://www.riphotocenter.org/stitches-in-time-a-curated-exhibition/

“Salt Evaporation Pond #4, Palo Alto, CA” 2019 © Neal Rantoul, courtesy of the artist.

Newport Art Museum, Newport – Above/Below multi-media group show features works from the museum’s permanent collection, curated by Megan Horn.  Offering thought-provoking, altered perspectives of our world, the exhibit includes work by photographers Neal Rantoul (above), Jesse Burke, Lucas Foglia, Sally Gall, Henry Horenstein, Salvatore Mancini, and Aaron Siskind, among others. On view from February 12th – April 24th, 2022.

For more information, go to: https://newportartmuseum.org/exhibitions/above-below/

New Hampshire

A trio of portraits by Henry Horenstein, courtesy of the artist and 3SArtSpace, Portsmouth, NH.

3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH – A second offering of the versatile Henry Horenstein in the region, this time, portraiture in Where Everybody Is Somebody. On view through March 20th, 2022.

For more information: https://www.3sarts.org/gallery/where-everybody-is-somebody