Best Photo Picks January 2023

What Makes It Great? / Featured / January 5, 2023

By Elin Spring and Suzanne Révy

We start the New Year with a deep cleansing breath and another attempt to transcend wretched world news and the obstinate barrage of exhausting diseases. Resolute in our faith that art works in miraculous ways to lift the spirit and inspire creativity, we present the most intriguing photography exhibits and events around Boston and beyond. As always, we present listings geographically for your planning convenience and invite you to check back throughout January for updates. We remain ever grateful for your interest and support and hope we will contribute to your sense of renewal in 2023!

BOSTON PROPER

“Tent Camera Image: View of Vineyards, St. Remy de Provence, France” by Abelardo Morell, 2022, courtesy of the artist and the Krakow Witkin Gallery, Boston, MA.

Krakow Witkin Gallery- Abelardo Morell’s colorful studies of southern France made with his “tent camera” evoke the ethos of Van Gogh as he wandered in the 19th century master’s footprints. On the Ground: In the Footsteps of Van Gogh will be on view from January 14th through February 25th 2023. An opening reception is planned for January 14th from 3 to 5pm and an artist talk is planned for February 11th, 2023 at 3pm.

For more information: https://www.krakowwitkingallery.com/exhibitions/abelardo-morell-on-the-ground-in-the-footsteps-of-van-gogh/

Robert Capa, Normandy Invasion on D-Day, Soldier Advancing through Surf, 1944. Gelatin silver print. The Howard Greenberg Collection—Museum purchase with funds donated by the Phillip Leonian and Edith Rosenbaum Leonian Charitable Trust. Robert Capa © International Center of Photography / Magnum Photos.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – LIFE Magazine and the Power of Photography journeys through a tumultuous period in American history and culture, featuring imagery from the celebrated magazine’s archives. Published weekly from 1936 to 1972, the magazine’s photo essays capture some of the defining moments—celebratory and traumatic alike—of the last century, from the WWII D-Day invasion (above) to the historic Apollo 11 moon landing . The exhibit reveals the collaborative efforts behind many now-iconic images and stories by photographers such as Margaret Bourke-White, Larry Burrows, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Frank Dandridge, Gordon Parks, W. Eugene Smith and Alfred Eisenstaedt. Three immersive contemporary “moments” feature works by artists active today who offer their critical reflections on photojournalism. LAST CHANCE! On view through January 16th, 2023.

For more information, go to: https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/life-magazine-and-the-power-of-photography

Margrethe Mather, Water Lily, 1922. Palladium print. The Lane Collection. Courtesy of MFA, Boston.

Also at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – The Stillness of Things: Photographs from the Lane Collection presents nearly 60 innovative photographs grouped thematically across two galleries. The special treat is that they include enchanting departures from the traditional still-life and span the entire history of photography. Featuring photographs from the 1840s by William Henry Fox Talbot to the work of contemporary artists such as Olivia Parker, David Hilliard, Adam Fuss, Kenro Izu, and Abelardo Morell, the exhibit will be on view through February 27th, 2023.

For our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/stillness-of-things-photography-exhibit-at-the-museum-of-fine-arts-boston/

For more information, go to: https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/the-stillness-of-things

Jess T. Dugan “Ingrid and Okolo” (detail, 2006-8. Photograph, dye diffusion print (Polaroid). Gift of the artist. ©Jess T. Dugan. Courtesy of MFA, Boston.

Don’t miss the MFA, Boston’s Frances Vrachos Gallery / Mary Stamas Gallery (Gallery 148) where you’ll find arresting, nearly life-size photographs from the series, Coupled, Jess T. Dugan’s portraits of LGBTQ couples created using a rare and massive Polaroid camera in the years after the 2004 legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. Ongoing.

For more information, go to: https://www.mfa.org/gallery/jess-t-dugan-coupled

“Little Galaxy” 2018 by Cig Harvey, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

Robert Klein Gallery – Cig Harvey’s intoxicating photographs of nature and those in its thrall are siren songs that lure the viewer into a multi-sensory shower. Her solo show Eat Flowers showcases images from Harvey’s latest book,”Blue Violet,” a mesmerizing visual procession through the seasons that, along with her lyrical musings, radiate a vibrant sense of awe. EXTENDED! On view by appointment through January 14th, 2023.

For gallery hours and more information, go to: https://www.robertkleingallery.com/exhibitions/71-cig-harvey-eat-flowers-robert-klein-gallery-38-newbury-street/overview/

SOUTH BOSTON

Lou Jones exhibit at Spoke Gallery in conjunction with Medicine Wheel.

Spoke Gallery – In conjunction with Medicine Wheel, the gallery hosts Lou Jones’ 6 Continents, drawing photographs from five of his series: Cuba, Olympics, panAFRICA project, COVID-19, and Every Color Has a Different Song. The ensemble underlines candid moments that synergize very divergent times into our collective history. On view through February 24th, 2023, there will be an Opening Reception and Gallery Talk with the artist on Thursday, January 19th, 2023 from 5:30 – 7:30pm.

For information and free registration, go to: https://www.spokeart.org/programs/spoke-gallery/

CAMBRIDGE

Photograph by Matilde Simas.

Bridge Gallery – Matilde Simas’ portraits from the Omo Valley in Ethiopia will be on view in the window at 5 Pemberton Street on a continuously rotating basis over the next four weeks. However, there will also be an in-person Opening Reception with the artist on Saturday, January 14th, 2023 from Noon – 5:00pm.

For more information, go to: https://www.bridge.photos/contact

BROOKLINE

Installation view of “Fractured & Found” by Jessica Burko, courtesy of the artist.

Brookline Arts Center – The teetering structures in Jessica Burko’s installation Fractured & Found are a pointed and poignant exploration of life’s conflicting roles, demands, and emotions, embodied by photographic self-portraits compartmentalized in reclaimed wooden drawers. Origin Stories, photographs chronicling Burko’s discovery of the furniture, enliven nearby walls. LAST CHANCE! On view at the Beacon Street Gallery through January 15th, 2023.

For more information, go to: https://www.brooklineartscenter.com/beacon

THE BURBS

“1984.07.14. Self with Kids (Before vacation with their father)” by Judith Black, courtesy of the artist.

Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester – Coming hot off the heels of holiday gatherings, Family Album invites viewers to fathom the intimate relationships of two internationally celebrated photographers who have chronicled their own families for decades. Utilizing large format cameras and B&W film, American Judith Black and Swede Bjorn Sterri reveal exceptional sensitivity to personality and filial rapport in compositions charged with telling gesture and expression. This exhibit and the ones that follow are on view from January 12th – February 26th, 2023. There will be a collective Opening Reception with many of the artists on Saturday, January 14th from 4:00 – 6:00pm.

For more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/family-album-judith-black-bjorn-sterri/

From “Family Photographs” by Bjorn Sterri, courtesy of the artist.

In the Griffin Gallery at Griffin Museum – Parker Thompson is the curator behind Always Been, an archival project focused on the humanity, dignity, and joy of Black life as seen through the lens of found photographs. In Intimacies, Long Lost, he offers viewers a selection of his vernacular collection of American photographs celebrating an illuminating and all-too-rare perspective. For more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/parker-thompson-intimacies-long-lost-selections-from-the-always-been-collection/

From the exhibit Intimacies, Long Lost curated by Parker Thompson on view in the Griffin Gallery.

In the Griffin Atelier Gallery at Griffin Museum – The 13th Annual Photobook Exhibition, juried by Crista Dix, Griffin Executive Director and Karen Davis of the Davis Orton Gallery, features 27 artist-made books. For more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/13th-annual-photobook-exhibition/

Photo from Point/Counterpoint by James Lustenader in the Founders Gallery at the Griffin Museum.

In the Founders Gallery at the Griffin Museum – In Point/Counterpoint, street photographer James Lustenader offers his playfully subversive counterpoint to six images from the archives of museum founder Arthur Griffin. For more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/james-lustenader-point-counterpoint/

From an end and a beginning by Alyssa Minahan, courtesy of the artist.

LAST CHANCE! On view through Sunday, January 8th, 2023: the Griffin Museum Winter Solstice 2022 group show, an end and a beginning solo show by Alyssa Minahan (above), The Color of Water solo show by Sarah Schorr, and Illuminating the Archive – Call & Response, photographs by Becky Behar in dialogue with images from the archive of museum founder Arthur Griffin. For more information about all four exhibits, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/current-exhibitions/

“Off Playing Bridge” by Toni Pepe, rephotographed press picture, courtesy of the artist and the Danforth Museum of Art.

Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University, Framingham – Three solo exhibits curated by Danforth Art Director Jessica Roscio, Toni Pepe’s An Ordinary Devotion, Lisa Rosowsky’s Othering and Jane Szabo’s Family Matters, grapple with the current political landscape through the lens of the personal, utilizing or appropriating photography to consider the role of family and memory in the hierarchies of private and public power. On view through January 29th, 2023.

For our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/toni-pepe-an-ordinary-devotion-lisa-rosowsky-othering-jane-szabo-family-matters-at-danforth-art-in-framingham-ma/

For more information, go to: https://danforth.framingham.edu/see-art/

“The Missing” by Lisa Rosowsky, 2016, courtesy of the artist and Danforth Art, Framingham, MA.

“Secrets” by Jane Szabo, 2017 from the series Family Matters, courtesy of the artist and the Danforth Art Museum.

From the series Americans Parade by George Georgiou, 2016, courtesy of the artist and the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.

DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln – New Formations celebrates the human body in athleticism and performance through painting, video and photography, including work by George Georgiou (above), Pelle Cass, Heather Rasmusson and Philip Trager. Contemporary photographs are installed along with a collection of vernacular pictures recently donated to the museum from the Peter Cohen Collection. In addition, the museum presents Downstream using photography and video with an element of fluidity to evoke the disparities in living conditions during this age of climate change, featuring photographs by Paul D’Amato, Charles “Teeny” Harris, Arno Rafael Minkkinen, and Abelardo Morrell among others. All exhibitions are on view through March 12, 2023.

For our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/new-formations-and-downstream-at-decordova-sculpture-park-and-museum-in-lincoln-ma/

For more information: https://thetrustees.org/program/decordova-exhibitions/

“Pillow Fight, Paris” by Harry Benson, 1964, 44″x44″ gelatin silver print, gift of Eileen and Jonathan Otto, courtesy of the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA.

Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover – Harry Benson: Four Stories offers a dive into the legendary photojournalist’s archive, emphasizing his coverage of the building of the Berlin Wall, the Beatle’s first American tour, the James Meredith March Against Fear and the Robert F. Kennedy assassination. On view through January 29th, 2023.

To read our review, go to: https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/rosamond-purcell-nature-stands-aside-harry-benson-four-stories-at-addison-gallery-of-american-art-andover-ma/

For more information, go to: https://addison.andover.edu/

“Michael at Tony’s, 2013” from the series Michael by Rick Ashley, courtesy of the artist.

Marblehead Arts Association, Marblehead – Rick Ashley presents a selection of photographs from his series Michael, a loving exploration of the dreams and realities of his brother-in law with Downs Syndrome. One of the images from this series was a winner of the prestigious “Outwin American Portraiture” competition conducted by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and has been exhibited in Washington, D.C. and traveled to museums across the country. On view from January 14th – February 26th, 2023, there will be an Opening Reception with the artist on Sunday, January 15th from 2:00 – 4:00pm.

For more information, go to: https://marbleheadarts.org/upcoming/

John Thomson (1837–1921)
Hongkong girl, 1868–72
Albumen print, 7 5/8 × 5 3/4 inches (19.4 × 14.5 cm)
Peabody Essex Museum, Gift of George J. Harrington Jr., 1993, PH27.35

Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), Salem – Power and Perspective: Early Photography in China explores how the camera transformed perceptions of 19th-century China through more than 130 extraordinarily rare photographs accompanied by paintings, decorative arts, and prints. Exhibit co-curator Stephanie Hueon Tung, PEM’s Byrne Family Curator of Photography lends perspective on the show: “Photography has never been a neutral technology of documentation; who and what gets captured and the stories that these photographs tell is a function of power.” The show incorporates work from a collaboration with current emerging photographers in China, who responded to images in the exhibit with works that offer their personal insights into China today. On view through April 2, 2023.

For more information, go to: https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/power-and-perspective-early-photography-in-china

“Kitchen Shelf” 2019 by Becky Behar, courtesy of the artist.

Kniznick Gallery at the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center, Waltham – In her signature, luminescent still-lifes and portraits of her children’s transition to adulthood, Becky Behar’s solo show Interlaced draws connections between narratives of personal and generational identity, past and present, dreams and realities – all bathed in symbols of the home. On view from January 30th – February 22nd, 2023, there will be an Opening Reception and Artist Talk on Thursday, January 26th from 5:00 – 6:30pm and an Artist-guided tour of the exhibit on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 at Noon.

For more information and free registration, go to: https://www.brandeis.edu/wsrc/arts/upcoming.html

“Valeriia” by Faith Ninivaggi, from the series Unwavering Spirit, courtesy of the artist.

Hoon Keith Quiet Study Lounge Gallery, Curry College, Milton – In Unwavering Spirit, photojournalist Faith Ninivaggi’s uses a 4″x5″ camera and black and white film to make portraits of Boston area Ukrainian students and activists. She accompanies the portraits with interviews that reveal their anxieties and fears and how they support one another in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked attack on their country. On view through January 23rd, 2023.

For more information: https://www.curry.edu/student-life/student-center/hoon-keith-quiet-study-lounge

Acton Senior Center – Veteran landscape photographer Neal Rantoul advocates an active retirement in The Retirement Show. Ten luscious prints chronicle each year of his retirement from directorship of the photography program at Northeastern University, sharing colorful perspectives from the far west to familiar home territory (as Covid required) with his signature eagle eye. On view through February 10th, 2023, there will be a free public Reception on Tuesday, January 10th from 4:30 – 6:30pm.

For more information, go to: https://actoncoa.com/calendar.aspx?eid=2938

“Ritual Dance, Bhutan” by Ron Rosenstock, 2009, courtesy of the artist and the Fitchburg Art Museum.

Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg – Ron Rosenstock’s World in Color presents saturated studies from global travels of this the central Massachusetts based photographer. Known primarily for his black and white pictures and overseas workshops, this is the first time the photographer presents his color work. On view through March 15th 2023.

For more information: https://fitchburgartmuseum.org/ron-rosenstocks-world-in-color/

“Welcome Home Camille, Great Brook Valley, 1992” by Peter Hagberg, courtesy of the artist and Worcester Historical Museum.

Worcester Historical Museum, Worcester – In 1993, a group of photographers came together to photograph contemporary Worcester, documenting the city’s changing face as a new century approached. Worcester Scene: Reseen looks back at these original photos 29 years later, highlighting not only the city but the perspectives of these nine local photographers: Stephen DiRado, Peter Faulkner, Elizabeth Garamy, Peter Hagberg (above), Rosemary Lebeau, Robert Nash, Mari Seder, Robert Raslavsky and the late David Prifti. Ongoing.

For more information, go to: https://www.worcesterhistory.org/exhibitions/worcester-scene-reseen/

ROAD TRIP!

Vermont

“German Alps” by Renate Aller, 2019, the show The Space Between Memory and Expectation, courtesy of the artist and the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro, VT.

Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro – “The interval—the space in between—is about the moments during which apparently nothing happens; but without these moments, change is impossible. The Space Between Memory and Expectation is another way to describe this stillness and transition.” In Renate Aller’s solo exhibition (and accompanying monograph, Kehrer Verlag 2021) she uses large-format photographic installations to create “picture windows” that invite the viewer to enter and absorb the textures of the landscapes and all that they imply: movement, change, time, and human influence. On view through February 12th, 2023.

NOTE! On Friday, January 13th at 7:00pm, join photographer Renate Aller in conversation with Makeda Djata Best, the Richard L. Menschel Curator of Photography and the interim head of the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums. For information about this event, go to: https://www.brattleboromuseum.org/2022/10/19/conversation-renate-aller-and-makeda-djata-best/

For more information about this exhibit, go to: https://www.brattleboromuseum.org/2022/06/10/renate-aller-the-space-between-memory-and-expectation/

Maine

Norman Seeff (United States, born South Africa, born 1939), Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith, New York, 1969, archival pigment print, 15 x 22 inches. Promised Gift from the Judy Glickman Lauder Collection, 1.2016.1. Image courtesy Luc Demers. © Photograph by Norman Seeff.

Portland Museum of Art, Portland – Presence: The Photography Collection of Judith Glickman Lauder highlights a broad range of 20th century photography, including works by James Van Der Zee, Berenice Abbot, Diane Arbus, Sally Mann, Gordon Parks and Roman Vishniac among others. The exhibition marks Lauder’s promised gift to the museum of some six hundred works, which will transform and enhance the museum’s photography holdings. LAST CHANCE! On view through January 15th, 2023.

For more information: https://www.portlandmuseum.org/exhibitions

Connecticut

“Shipyard #11, Quili Port, Zhejiang Province, China” by Edward Burtynsky, 2005, Chromogenic color print, private collection, courtesy of the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT.

New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT – Forty years worth of industrial landscapes and and images that emphasize the impacts of human activity and consumerism are presented in a large retrospective of the Canadian photographer in Edward Burtynsky: Art Observed on view through April 16th, 2023.

For more information: https://nbmaa.org/exhibitions/edward-burtynsky-earth-observed