Griffin News

Griffin State of Mind | Lou Jones

Posted on July 24, 2020

Portrait of Lou Jones

Photographer and long time board member Lou Jones has a bright energy that emulates well from his personal work and more importantly was evident in his responses to our Griffin State of Mind interview.

Recently we asked Jones about how his journey started with the Griffin and we wanted to get to know a bit more about what his latest inspirations are. Here is what we learned.

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin. How long have you been part of the Griffin team and describe your role.

tuta bridge by Lou Jones

I think I visited the Griffin Museum once when Arthur Griffin was still alive. I wanted to meet him having seen his byline on so many photographs during my early career. Subsequently I was recruited by the previous executive director to join the board of directors.

How do you involve photography in your everyday? Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

I make my living taking pictures. I have maintained a studio in Boston for many years. A very long-time colleague sent me a photograph of myself taking pictures in the 1980s & it rattled me.

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

Pan Africa Project © Lou Jones

I have been traveling to Africa continuously for the last several years & found it draws me back because of its almost infinite variety in things that are completely alien to me & my world here. The continent provides almost continuous new opportunities & completely new narratives that cannot be imagined from our western imaginations. It is a cornucopia.

See Lou Jones’ body of work from Africa on his website www.panAFRICAproject.org.

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

Since the pandemic started I have been working on photographing how people have been dealing with the new paradigm, how it affects their lives positively or negatively, how they have adapted to the new complexities, imaginative ways to continue & what our environment “looks” like with all the restrictions.

Mirror COVID by Lou Jones

Lifeguards COVID by Lou Jones

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

The fact that the whole world can come to a voluntary standstill. I am mystified by what segments can/cannot operate inside the pandemic.

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

James Baldwin

Maybe James Baldwin. He was so ahead of his time in being creative, gay & an African American. He was the darling of the “intelligentia” until he became strident about race relations. His analysis is becoming more & more pertinent & relevant today & he was ignored towards the end of his life.

I would like to talk about being an artist being so ahead of the debate & how do you maintain your resolve under such pressure. I chased him down the street in Paris once but never caught up with him.

Griffin State of Mind | Barbara Hitchcock

Posted on July 19, 2020

Snippet from Glasstire TV Curator Interview for “The Polaroid Project at the Amon Carter Museum of Art”

The alternative process powerhouse herself, Barbara Hitchcock gave us some of her time this past week so we could interview her via email.

She shared her latest insights with us and below are some of the ways she hops into her Griffin State of Mind.

Her strong voice in the art community has been a part of the Griffin journey for many years as she has even curated multiple shows for us.

We have always appreciated her true and authentic appreciation for the history of photography and the integration of all photographic processes to create imaginative masterpieces.

How long have you been part of the Griffin team and describe your role at the Griffin?

In 2006, Blake Fitch, the Executive Director then, and her team, established the Focus Awards and I was one of the awardees. I joined the Board of Directors shortly thereafter and continued on the Board the maximum number of terms and then became a Corporater.

I still serve at the discretion of the Board. Periodically, I have curated exhibitions displayed at the Griffin, among them William Wegman: It’s a Dog’s Life; Barbara Crane: Challenging Vision; Patrick Nagatani: Themes and Variations and most recently, Shadows and Traces: The Photographs of John Reuter.

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin.

The then director of the Griffin Center contacted me, asking me to do an exhibition at the Griffin that illustrated creative art photography, a departure from their usual practice. At that time, the center’s mission concentrated on photo illustration and journalism, highlighting the professional work of Arthur Griffin who established the Center that then evolved into the Griffin Museum.

I believe it was the 1990s. I hung an exhibition titled “New Dimensions in Photography” that featured artists making photographs using antique or alternative processes – cyanotypes on fabric, Polaroid image transfers on watercolor paper, platinum prints and the like.

How do you involve photography in your everyday?

I’ve started to take photographs again, much more than I used to. But I have been lucky as I have continued to curate exhibitions – the most recent titled The Polaroid Project: At the Intersection of Art and Technology currently at the MIT Museum – and I occasionally write about artists and their artwork for catalogs and books.

“From Polaroid To Impossible” By Barbara Hitchcock

Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

West Coast artists Victor Raphael and Terry Braunstein are collaborating on a series of images that deal with climate change. One dramatic, eye-grabbing image of a partia house on fire floats above palm trees into a hellishly scarlet sky scarred by black and red- reflecting clouds. A man, sitting on the edge of the house’s roof, weeps. The image is searing! Unfortunately, we know this image is not a warning, not fantasy. It is already a reality.

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

How difficult physical distancing is. You want to embrace friends and family; people want that basic warmth of physical connection. And some people just don’t seem to know how far 6-feet away really is…or their attention is on other things as they wander into your path.

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

I’ve always loved walking in the woods and going to the beach. I grew up in houses with yards, but my brothers and I always used to play in the lots that had underbrush and rocks where garden snakes unsuccessfully hid from us. Walking in wooded parks with the sound and sighting of birds, the smell of plants, trees and fallen pine needles, the occasional deer sighting, the quietude – it is like a loving embrace. And walking barefoot along the ocean with its crash of waves on the beach is similarly magical.

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway production Hamilton. The music, the choreography, the history, the emotion, the humanity. I still get goosebumps watching it!

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

Georgia O’Keeffe would be an irresistible choice. Her paintings make me weep; I don’t know why. She was such a talented, strong, independent woman who was married to Alfred Stieglitz, an incredibly strong, monumental, stellar figure in the world of art. How did they negotiate the life they shared together and apart that allowed them both to grow and succeed? That, I assume, would be a fascinating conversation.

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin?

I have too many favorite exhibits to highlight only one. It would be unfair to the ones I don’t mention! In general, I am attracted to work that is experimental in nature, imaginative and pushes the envelope visually and intellectually. What is the artist communicating to the viewer through his/her photograph? Is there a subtle message or is the image straight forward and uncomplicated? Stop. Look. Ponder. What is being revealed?

July Photo Chat Chat | Member’s Exhibition Edition

Posted on July 16, 2020

Join us Thursday night July 16th for a chat with four artists participating in our 26th Annual Member’s Exhibition, curated by Alexa Dilworth.

Yorgos Efthymiadis

There Is a Place I Want to Take You I had an unsettling feeling when I returned, for the very first time after many years abroad, to the place of my origin. Even though I was surrounded by loved ones, friends and family who were ecstatic to see me, there was a sense of non-belonging. After a couple of days of catching up and hanging out, they returned to their routines. I stopped being their center of attention and became a stranger in a foreign land. It was harsh to come home, to a place which I banished in the past, only to realize that I have been banished in return. Time leaves its mark, transforms places, and alters people. Even the smallest detail can make a huge difference to the way things were. After moving away, I had to rediscover what I have left behind. Using my memories as a starting point, I walked down the road that led to my high school, I lay on the sand at the beach, close to the house where I grew up, I nodded to a familiar face I couldn’t quite place and yet they smiled back. All these round-trip tickets to the past, to a place that I once used to belong, reminded me one of Henry Miller’s quotes that always resonated with me: “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.”

Leslie Jean-Bart

Have always found great comfort in or by the ocean.

The ocean has become the anchor for my current series, Reality & Imagination.

This ongoing series is a body of work of over 100 images that were edited from hundreds of images shot over the past 8 years. The images are squarely rooted in the tradition of Elliott Erwitt, Jay Maisel, Eugene Smith, Lou Draper, and sport photography. They are basically as they are in the instant shot.

I photograph the tide as visual metaphor to explore the dynamic interaction which takes place between the cultures when one lives permanently in a foreign land.

The cultures automatically interact with each other in a motion that is instantly fluid and turbulent, just as the sand and tide. It’s a constant movement in unison where each always retains its distinctive characteristics. This creates a duality that is always present.

The current climate towards immigrants in the US and the present migrant situation in Europe shows that the turbulent interaction between the duality created by the mix of the two cultures does not only manifest itself within the foreign individual but also within that foreign land.

Each of the sections of ‘Reality & Imagination’ explores this cultural duality. The section ‘Silhouette & Shadow’ and ‘Silhouette & Shadow Too’ I give an actual shape to the two cultures as silhouette & shadow, which are both entities that cannot exist without the presence of another. Just as the sand and the tide, a silhouette & or a shadow constantly moves in unison with the object the projected light uses to create it. In that instance, both the object and the shadow always retain each their individual characteristics.

‘Silhouette & Shadow Too’ addresses the phase where immigrants are visible to the dominant society only in limited capacity when needed, and the fact that the potential of enriching the society at large is short circuited.

Personally, the series has permitted me to readily welcome what’s good from both (all cultures in fact) and to let go from each what does not serve me as a human being. It has facilitated me to see at times what’s not readily seen as well as to be at times more present in life. It has given me the understanding that at every point I have the opportunity to act by choosing from within the structures of one of the two cultures what would serve best at that moment.

The constant intermingling of that duality is ever present.

Loli Kantor

For Time Is No Longer Now: A Tale of Love, Loss and Belonging My mother Lola died in Paris on January 21, 1952, after giving birth to me. My father Zwi died in Tel Aviv of a heart attack, March 1966 when I was 14 years old. My brother Ami died of a cardiac arrest in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, 1998. My immediate family: grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles perished in the Holocaust. My missing family created deep holes in my life—holes so deep that I have been driven to fill them in through a comprehensive and sometimes fevered search. Studying the archives of my family which I collected and saved through my life I uncover facts and information about my mother my father and my brother that help me to better understand their stories. I travel to the places from which my parents came, to where I was born and my mother died, to where I grew up and to times I barely remember, and even before. This is the soul of my work.These are visual disclosures including historical photographs, letters and documents, as well as new photographic works which I created to insert myself into the story of my lost family.

Geralyn Shukwit

For the past nine years, Brooklyn-based photographer Geralyn Shukwit has traveled the backroads of Bahia, Brazil, returning to the same communities year after year to form relationships with the families who reside there. O Tempo Não Para, Portuguese for “time does not stop,” is a personal documentation of those interactions and observations, a poetic record of Bahian life that prevails despite economic and environmental hardships. One of 26 states in Brazil, Bahia has a population of about 14 million in a region approximately the size of Texas. The Portuguese named it “Bahia” (“bay”) in 1501 after first entering the region through the bay where its capital, Salvador, is now located. An agricultural community, Bahians reside primarily in the cities and towns on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, where the weather is slightly more forgiving than in Bahia’s harsh, arid interior region, the Sertão. Bahia has one of the highest rates of poverty in the country; mothers often have to fish to feed her children and in many communities, water only arrives by truck. Mostly of mixed European and African lineage, Bahians are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, and many practice the rituals of Umbanda, Candomblé, and other syncretist religious sects. Cloaked in Bahia’s unique light, Shukwit’s intimate portrayal of daily life in Bahia offers viewers distinctly quiet, in-between moments laden with profundity. Underpinning the collective power of O Tempo Não Para is the photographer’s acute ability to cultivate trust and develop close connections with community members. Set in the extraordinarily colorful landscape of Bahia, a contrasting palette of bright, cool and warm colors, each photograph leaves traces of a culture seeped in the rituals and traditions that bind them.

Saba Sitton | Griffin Online Interview

Posted on July 14, 2020

We contacted Saba Sitton to ask her more questions about her journey in life and her photography. Below you will find her bio and her artist statement. You can see her work Journeys in Between and Distances Near Away in our Critic’s Pick Gallery.

Saba, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some of our questions for our audience. I enjoyed meeting you in Houston at Fotofest this past March. Can you talk a bit about “the present day Persian diaspora” for you and your family that you mention in your statement?

I think the experience of being part of a diaspora is different for each person, but I believe there are some common threads. For example, I feel that many from my parents’ generation have always hoped that one day they could return home. For me, home is more nuanced; the concept of home is somewhere between the two cultures, and the intricacies of that, is at the core of my creative work.

You talk about transitory instances where your present recalls the past. Can you speak about what that means to you?

For an immigrant or an exile, there is always some degree of longing for one’s place of origin. This sense of longing does not undermine or overwhelm one’s being. It is just a part of one’s existence. Sometimes a familiar scent, a familiar shape, or a gentle breeze on a summer’s afternoon, can recall a similar experience from the past. These transitory instances of time, while not easy to define, are moments when one’s awareness is threaded between the present and a similar moment remembered from the past. It is these transitory moments that inspire and inform much of my work.

I love the words you use to describe your work and journey. One phrase especially is the “poetics of migration” and “stories of exile”. Can you talk about this in reference to your work?

Over the years, I have come to know many who live in exile, and others who have migrated to different countries around the world. I have heard stories of hope, of loss, of struggle, of longing, and of reconciliation. We are all on a journey. Some journeys are more layered, others have great contrast. I often think of my work as visual poems, and these are the poetics that find their way into my work.

What does the flower mean to you in your photographs? It seems to me that the flower is a constant. Why flowers? Do you personally identify with the flower?

The flower has a special reverence in Persian culture. Throughout history, Persians have always prided themselves in their magnificent flower gardens. In Persian poetry, a flower symbolizes life’s beauty and fragility. A bouquet of flowers is considered a precious gift symbolizing life and renewal. In my work, a flower becomes a visual metaphor for a sense of connection with a remembered past and culture.

How do you use poetry with your work?

The poems that I use in my work are written by contemporary Persian poets. Persian culture has a strong history of poetry and celebrated poets. The culture has embraced poetry as a powerful carrier of ideas. The poetry in my work is an accompanying voice. Beyond the voice, the poems are also an integral element woven into the visual presence of the piece.

Is your use of color in your photographs deliberate. Reds are predominant in your work. I see reds holding such richness and strength. Can you talk about what the colors you use mean to you?

Color has always been an important part of my work. I often work with colors intuitively. But there are times when I use colors deliberately. For example, in my work, I often reference colors that are revered by the Persian culture like certain shades of blue, turquoise, and yellow. Intuitively, I am drawn to certain colors, like the color red. These colors, in all their variations, embody certain expressive qualities that I am looking for in my work.

Can you tell us about Ten by Ten: Ten Reviewers Select Ten Portfolios from the Meeting Place 2018, FotoFest 2020 Biennial as so many of us missed it due to the pandemic.

The Ten by Ten exhibition showcased the work of ten artists whose work was selected by ten international reviewers from the FotoFest 2018 Meeting Place. The selected work was very diverse and displayed a richness of ideas and approaches. My series, Journeys in-Between, was one of the selected portfolios. The exhibition was well received by the community and it was an honor to have been a part of it. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the exhibition closed early. I believe FotoFest is planning to reopen the exhibition at a later date when it will be safe to open it to the public.

What work are you thinking about doing now?

I am always photographing life around me. I often explore new locations in search of images that embody a quality of expression that I am after. I work with these photographs, along with poems, and other materials to create my work. Today, the pandemic has changed so much of our everyday experiences. I am exploring new ways to produce my work with an awareness of today’s challenges.

Is there something I haven’t asked you that you would like to talk about for our audience?

I hope this interview will help reveal additional insights into my work. I want to thank you for this opportunity to discuss my work with you and with your audience.

Artist Statement

My work explores the transitory instances of time when one’s awareness is threaded between the present and a similar moment remembered from the past. At times, these threaded moments have hard juxtapositions due to differences from the change of context, the passage of time, or a change of place. Other times, they blend and fuse a sense of continuity that are more fluid and often share a moment of contemplation. Oftentimes my work is a reflection on the poetics of migration and the stories of exile. As an Iranian-American artist, my work is informed by idealized landscapes and intricate designs of early Persian art. Persian miniature paintings are adorned with intricate depictions of flowers, plants, and tightly woven patterns of imaginary gardens. In Persian poetry, a flower often symbolizes a fleeting moment, a poetic remembrance

of life’s transience and fragility. In my work, a flower becomes a visual metaphor for a sense of connection with a remembered past. I often include poems in my work. These poems become an accompanying voice within the work. Sometimes the poems echo a sense of hope or longing, other times they evoke a sense of disorientation or doubt, as might be felt by an immigrant or an exile, on a life’s journey, of being in-between.

Bio

Saba Sitton is part of the present day Persian diaspora. Her work explores transitory instances of time, either shared or solitary, visceral or recalled. Originally from Tehran, and having lived in Asia, Europe and the United States, Saba has firsthand experience living between cultures, languages, and traditions. Her work is often influenced by Persian art and literature as experienced and shared in a modern multicultural society. Saba studied art and design at the California Institute of the Arts and the University of Oregon where she received her MFA. She

has worked on art and design commissions, and has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions. Most recently, Saba’s work was on exhibit at the Ten by Ten: Ten Reviewers Select Ten Portfolios from the Meeting Place 2018, FotoFest 2020 Biennial, and will be a part of the upcoming exhibition The Blue Planet, at H2 – Center for Contemporary Art, Glass palace, Kunstsammlungen und Museen, Augsburg, Germany. Saba lives in the United States and spends her time between California and Texas.

Griffin State of Mind | Marky Kauffmann

Posted on July 10, 2020

Since her first involvement with the Griffin Museum about twenty years ago, Marky Kauffmann has shown a dedication and love for the art of photography. For instance, her work has shown at the Griffin in numerous Annual Juried Exhibitions as well in a solo show of her work “Landscapes and a Prayer.”

Also, Kauffmann has taught professional workshops and lectures for us in an effort the raise up the next generation of photographers. Over the years, her creative spirit has fluidity blended with our mission to broaden the appreciation and understanding of the impact of photographic art to the world.

As a part of our Griffin State of Mind series we interviewed this creatively contagious personality to better illustrate to you the spirit of the Griffin Museum of Photography.

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin. How long have you been part of the Griffin team and describe your role at the Griffin.

In 1996, I had an image in the Griffin Museum’s The Juried Show. That, I believe, was my first association with the museum. But when Paula Tognarelli joined the Griffin team as an intern in the early 2000’s, my interest in the museum grew.

Paula had been my student at the New England School of Photography and when she became executive director in 2006, I was thrilled!

In 2016, after I retired from teaching photography at the secondary school level, Paula asked me to join the museum’s Board of Directors as a Corporator. I have been on the Membership Committee since joining the board. In that capacity, I have used my connections at Boston area high schools and independent schools to create the Griffin Museum Secondary School Photography Teachers’ Alliance.

Every spring the Griffin hosts a luncheon for the Alliance, bringing together public and private school teachers to share ideas and forge bonds. And every winter, we sponsor an exhibit of their students’ work at Regis College’s Carney Gallery. In these ways, I have expanded membership to the museum.

How do you involve photography in your everyday? Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

Photo by Rachel Wisniewski from her series “Memento”

I remain primarily an analog photographer and have a darkroom in my studio in Somerville. If I am not shooting film, I am printing in my darkroom, so making photographs is part of my daily life.

I recently went to see the exhibit, THE FENCE, brought to Winchester thanks to the vision and foresight of Paula Tognarelli. Many of the images on display caught my eye but “12 years old. My house. A family friend” and “13 years old. High school parking lot. My English teacher” by Rachel Wisniewski from her Memento portfolio held particular resonance.

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin (see online archive here ).

There have been so many extraordinary exhibits put on by the Griffin that it is difficult to choose just one. But Nancy Grace Horton’s exhibit, Ms. Behavior, at the Griffin’s satellite gallery at Digital Silver Imaging in 2014, is a standout.

When I saw the show, I simply laughed out loud. Horton’s images use wit and satire to skewer prescribed gender roles. As a life-long feminist, Horton’s sly, piercing humor captivated me.

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

In 1990, my husband and I bought 86 acres of land on Cape Breton Island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. We built a small cabin there, surrounded by ocean, mountains, and pine forests.

It is the place where I am most at home and most at peace. We have traveled there every summer for thirty years, and since retiring, we have also gone in the fall. But because of the surging cases of COVID-19 in the US, the Canadian border is closed until further notice. I find it utterly heartbreaking that I can’t go there this summer.

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

I recently read the novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong. The visual-ness of Vuong’s writing startled me. You get a glimpse of it just by reading the title of the book! And Sara Bareilles’ songs, especially her version of Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, got me through the spring.

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

I found and find the act of social distancing to be excruciating. Not setting eyes on my son for several months was hell, quite frankly. So, what is “eye opening” metaphorically, is that this could happen! We can be put in the position of not being able to be with the ones we love.

And literally “eye opening?” It was one of the most beautiful springtimes I have ever witnessed in New England. With less to do, there was more to notice. And that’s what photographers do – we notice, as in, make note of, and call attention to, the world.

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

I would like to be in a room with Francesca Woodman, the young photographer who killed herself at the age of 22. When I read about her life and work, I find parallels within my own life that I would love to explore with her. And I would like to tell her that I am inspired by her creativity everyday.

I find parallels within my own life…”

Pivotal to Woodman’s career was her year spent in Rome, Italy, as part of the RISD’s Junior Year Abroad Honors Program. She was nineteen. I, too, spent my nineteenth year studying abroad – in Paris, France.

There, I studied with French photographer Claude LeMont and artist Tony Thompson. For me, the experience was also life altering, cementing my love for photography. I have always found Woodman’s self-portraiture to be extraordinarily inventive. She experimented wildly with clothing, props, and environments. I also try to be inventive with my photography, experimenting with darkroom techniques and chemistry.

In her essay, “On Being an Angel,” Gianni Romano writes that Woodman “utilized the female body to gain self knowledge.” In Fred Turner’s essay, “Body and Soul,” he states that Woodman “left behind images of an extraordinary inner life.” Her use of photography in these ways resonates with me, as I, too, explore themes around the female body and the female experience as a means of gaining self knowledge and an understanding of the life I have lived.

Why did she jump out of that window on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1981? I wish I could ask her. Her premature death and the loss it presents to the art world are incalculable.

See the work of Marky Kauffmann on her website.

Lauren Ceike | Sequin Fix

Posted on July 9, 2020

In our Griffin Gallery in Winchester is the whimsical, thoughtful work of Lauren Ceike. Her series Sequin Fix looks at how we hold onto objects, crafting narratives, telling ourselves and others new stories.

Tonight at 7pm Eastern, we talk with Lauren in more detail about her path as an artist and learn more about her exhibition. We hope you will join us. In the meantime, we asked Lauren a few questions about her work.

How do your collections of objects manifest themselves? Like shiny objects you find and collect? Do you look for specific things? Are they all connected to family and a larger community of friends? Or is it subconscious, as if you didn’t know you had collected for example, 25 pink beads?

I have always been overly attached to objects and possessions. I just love things. My parents have told me I challenged them when I was a kid because I didn’t want to let go of certain items that they considered trash. I remember a broken umbrella that they had to secretly take out to the curb; somehow I found out and I can still feel the sensation of crying when the garbage truck stopped at our house. The pattern of the umbrella is also clear in my mind. I have a hard time separating myself from some objects, they often elicit feelings of inspiration, excitement, happiness, and make me feel like I can’t live without them. Many of the items featured in this project are things I have kept since childhood; after so many years they still conjure up those feelings I had as a kid and I just can’t bear to part with them. I maintain a childlike sensibility and I still love things that are cute and glittery. This is why I say I may be subconsciously holding onto an innocence that was fleeting.

In a more practical sense, I like to keep a library of items for crafting and creating. My artistic vision is never predictable so I like to have a wide variety of materials to work with. Sometimes an idea is sparked simply based on the object.

When was the moment you collected your first dime bag? What went in it? Was it the bag from the pool for “nuts and bolts”?

I started collecting the bags around 2015. Up until that time, the bags I saw had no special significance to me, they were purely functional. Once I realized what they were I continued to just notice them before ever picking them up. The concept for this project wasn’t in my mind when I first started collecting the bags, but I knew the idea would come to me. One of my first brainstorms involved robin’s eggs, which I also collect. I love noticing the subtle differences in the beautiful blue shades. I thought there could be some connection to drug abuse and the fragility of the eggshells, but it was an over-intellectualized idea. When I simplified my mind and came back to a childlike sense of curiosity, the concept came to me.

We have 4 boxes with bagged objects in the museum. How did you decide which objects fit with others? Was it a visual connection? Is it a timeline of collection?

I have a “magic box” of items that I have saved from childhood. It’s a beat up old roller skates box that has moved to every apartment over the years. I’m even attached to the actual box, it’s a funny scene of three girls skating with classic 1980’s graphic design. Every so often I would open the box and hope to find some jewelry that was now back on trend, but would end up a little disappointed and close the box for another time. After amassing a collection of bags, I was excited to finally have a good use for all the special things I had saved for so long. I was thankful for their service throughout the years and glad that I could now sacrifice them for a greater cause.

Some bags and their coordinating objects have visual connections, but it’s very subtle and the viewers may not notice. For example, bag number 174 contains squirrel teeth which mimic the shape of the devil horns depicted on the bag. The pink beads in bag number 4 is another deliberate pairing: the dainty, girly items juxtapose the burned bag in a way that summarizes the whole project.

Many people collect things trying to hold onto their past, or craft new narratives of what their lives could have, should have been. You say you collect to create nostalgia. Yet you also say your childhood was robbed from you. Is this a way to create a new bank of childhood memories? Or is it a visual interpretation of what your childhood should have been?

I want it to be well known that I cherish my family and my childhood memories. While some things were difficult and lifelong challenges, I deeply love all members of my family and work hard to maintain good relationships and connections. I believe my need to collect is a coping mechanism, a way to surround myself with things that bring me comfort and joy. It created a sense of control over an environment which was often out of my control.

We have 2 sets of school photos of a family member. The real bagged contents of the photos and the documented copy. What importance does this particular object / image hold for you?

The actions of an addict have longterm effects on the whole family, not just themselves. My life will be forever dictated by the experiences I had growing up with an addict. Even in recovery there are specific accommodations to be aware of, and current circumstances often seem tenuous. It’s crushing to see the school photos of that sweet boy who no longer exists. They carry so much more weight than any of the other bags of objects, therefore they deserve to be displayed on their own. The boy is contained by the bag, and his life is continuously limited by it.

What do you want us as viewers to walk away with after seeing your work?

While this project is acutely personal to me, consisting of mementos special to only me and my experiences, it has a universality that people can identify with. I believe this work of art to be more about innocence and memory than it is about drug abuse. As I’ve gotten older, I have come to the conclusion that every family is damaged in their own unique way and the best anyone can do is try to be happy and manage their feelings in a healthy and constructive way.

Another notable aspect of this project is it came out exactly as I envisioned and expressed exactly what I needed to say. As an artist, I can claim that this isn’t always how things turn out. I often have a lot of self criticism for the things I create, but I’m happy to have this body of work exist just as it is.

Is the project still ongoing? Are you still a collector?

I continue to collect bags when I see them, but I don’t hunt for them as I did for a period of time. Fortunately, I no longer see as many bags as I used to; sometimes I would find up to 15 bags in one walk. I hope this is an indication that drug abuse has diminished, but I doubt that’s the case. I have close to 100 empty bags so I envision adding more frames to the collection. At some point, I would be glad to stop collecting the bags, it doesn’t really feel good to creep around gutters and bring trash home, but for now I will keep collecting the ones I find. I have developed a keen eye for spotting treasures on the ground; I am in no way a religious person, but finding a miniature figurine of Mary nearly brought me to tears and she has become a trinket I carry around everywhere.

In an era of mindfulness and trendy tidying, I feel judged for placing importance on material possessions, yet I simultaneously feel burdened by these items. If the tidying experts suggest to keep only things that “spark joy”, I feel conflicted when I am compelled to keep things that spark sadness. While I am better at not bringing new things into my collection, I struggle with letting go of items from the past. I aspire to someday free myself from these bygone objects that restrict my future.

Griffin State of Mind | Crista Dix

Posted on July 3, 2020

One of the most jovial personalities we have gotten to know here at the Griffin is Crista Dix. Four months ago, Crista switched up coasts and took a chance on the unpredictable north shore New England weather so she would have the opportunity to grow and develop the Griffin Museum of Photography beside Paula Tognarelli as our Associate Director.

So we asked her a few questions to get to know her most recent fascinations, projects and obsessions, and here is what we found out.

How do you involve photography in your everyday?

Ode to Ansel © Crista Dix

I see photographs everywhere. I trip over my feet a lot. I spend most of my time looking up and out at the world around me. I have a photo project called Buzz Goes, and I carry a Buzz Lightyear wherever I go. He is my alter ego.

Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

We are thrilled to have the Photoville Fence in Winchester right now, and we have a few installations in front of the museum. The work by Tira Khan, Pattern Repeats, has been my moment of Zen as I go in and out of the museum.

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin.

I have known about the Griffin for 13 years. My first interaction was with the powerhouse that is Paula Tognarelli, our Executive Director. We met as peers, (when I had my gallery, wall space) at a portfolio review. One of my represented artists, Aline Smithson, was offered an exhibition at the Griffin, and that began my connection to this amazing institution. I started as the Associate Director in March of this year, having big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of Iaritza Menjivar.

The Conversation, 2018 © Tira Khan

How long have you been part of the Griffin team? Please describe your role at the Griffin

I arrived to one week of a very busy open museum, then the last 4 months I have been working in a very quiet space, looking forward to hearing the hum of an open public museum once again.

It is my job to support our indefatigable leader, Paula, in whatever she needs to get her job done and to make sure the operations of the museum run smoothly.

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin.

While I am partial to Aline Smithson’s Mid-Career retrospective, Self & Others, there are many shows I have loved. Zindagi, Bullet Points, Grey Matters, Horace & Agnes….I could go on. And on. And on.

What has been the most eye-opening part of our time of physical distancing?

I have spent my life surrounded by people. Artists, clients, friends, family. I’m actually really private about my life. I love my time to myself, craved it when I didn’t have time to escape and be quiet. Now three months into this new normal, I find I really miss the ability to have daily interactions.

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

My favorite escape is to the desert, where I can see endless sky, red rock and feel alive. Monument Valley is part of my soul. When I have red dirt everywhere on me and my belongings, I know I am home. I also love to explore, and Japan and India are always on the top of my list.

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

24.6.20.19.00 © Crista Dix

As someone obsessed by politics, this has been an interesting period of time. There are so many books to read about our fractured political system.

I get my groove on on the way into work. Old school, funk and soul. Chaka Khan, Alicia Keyes, Lauren Hill, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, Janet, Aretha, throw in some Janelle Monae, Esperanza Spaulding, Queen B, Bill Withers and Anderson Paak, …and visually, I am obsessed with the view out my apartment window.

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

I would want to talk to my grandmothers. I miss their wisdom. I would dance with Bob Fosse, groove with Prince and share a meal and have a profanity laden conversation with Anthony Bourdain. I’d share a glass of chardonnay with Karen Sinsheimer and talk about what we do next.

Griffin State of Mind | Julie Williams-Krishnan

Posted on June 26, 2020

Yet another Friday has rolled around and we are back at in again in the Griffin State of Mind. We are ready for the dawn of the weekend, but before you settle beside your Friday night campfire with some toasty s’mores, let’s see what our Director of Programs has to say about what puts her in the Griffin State of Mind.

Julie has been with the Griffin for ten years now and currently working as the Director of Programs. Some may say she is the “woman behind the curtain” when it comes to all things classes, programs, and talks hosted by the Griffin.

More recently we got the chance to get to know more about her green thumb and outstanding love for fine art photography.

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

Julie Williams-Krishnan by Elizabeth Dourian

I can think of three people off the top of my head, all artists, and all who carved time out for their practice against the current of everyday life – Julia Margaret Cameron, Virginia Woolf, and Allen Ginsberg.

I know there are many more people I would like to talk with, but these three came into my life as beacons at important developmental moments, so it would be nice to meet with them, learn more from them, and have the chance to thank them each for their legacy and vision.

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin?

One of my favorite shows at The Griffin was False Food by Jerry Takagawa. It was soon after I began my role at the museum, and I was able to meet the artist, hear Paula’s curatorial perspective, and see how photography as fine art was a vehicle for this important environmental message.

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin. How long have you been part of the Griffin team and please describe your role at the Griffin.

I first connected with the Griffin ten years ago, when I moved to the area from London. I was so excited to learn of the Griffin and its focus on fine art photography – it was one of the first phone calls that I made.

I volunteered there that first summer and then I was then part of the community, taking a few classes and attending shows and events for five years. In 2015, Paula approached me to ask if I would like to be the Director of Programs.

I was delighted, and have enjoyed that role very much. As the Director of Programs, I help organize talks, programs, and classes for the museum.

Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

This photograph [Ta-Dah Pour Deux by Gary Nellis] was recently featured in YourDailyPhotograph.com.

This photograph captures a moment of stillness in performance, a spotlighted duo in shadow, high above the world. It feels nostalgic, it captures the imagination, and the composition keeps my eye and my spirit of adventure roving around the image with excitement. It shows comfort in the midst of risk.

…my spirit of adventure roving around the image with excitement “

How do you involve photography in your everyday?

I am always thinking about photography. In addition to my work at the museum, I follow various artists on Instagram, follow blog postings, stay connected to the photography happenings in the Boston region, I am involved in a “salon” group where we discuss our own work, I photograph, and I teach photography.

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

Well, from the museum point of view, social distancing has allowed us to focus on the tools of virtual connection to stay together as community, and it has broadened our reach. We are now able to regularly connect with photographers and friends outside of New England.

So, though we have not been able to meet in person, we have connected in new and exciting ways with people across the US and internationally during this time.

On a personal level, I have wanted to grow a vegetable garden for seven years, and I am now focusing on tomato seedlings, growing beans up poles, and planing those potato spuds that have started sprouting! Can’t wait to harvest these things!!!

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

I love to go to the ocean, or a lake, or a river. Water soothes me, the power of the ocean tides awe me, the river current carries life. I grew up on an island in the middle of a swift and wide river, so water has always been my go to place for calm.

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

I have been journalling a bit – a bit like the gardening – I am enjoying having time to slow down, to think, to plan, to ground myself. My seedlings and the growing plants are my visual obsession at the moment!

Griffin State of Mind | Paula Tognarelli

Posted on June 19, 2020

The Griffin Museum of Photography is launching a new series “Griffin State of Mind.” An interview series giving you a glimpse inside the creative minds of board members, employees, volunteers, and general members discovering inspiration, motivations, and individual passions that make up our global community.

We are starting at home in Winchester with the heart and soul of the Griffin, Paula Tognarelli, the Executive Director and Curator.

Paula is a humble and passionate woman who fuels the fiery heart of the Griffin with determination and ingenuity.

Paula Tognarelli
Executive Director and Curator
Photo by Katie Swanger

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin.

I don’t tell many people about this but my first connection with the Griffin Museum was an application I sent for a position as the Executive Director of the Museum.

I took great efforts to prepare for this application.

Still I was the VP of Manufacturing for a large printing corporation that I worked at for 25 years. I had an art background and ran a 60 million dollar manufacturing company. I managed blue color and white collar employees.

We had a 7% profitability. We cut staff 50% not through layoffs but through cross training, digital processes and attrition.

Together we moved a business from an accident a month to no accidents for 1 year. And I was integral in moving an analog process to a completely digital workflow for the corporation and other printing companies across the United States.

We were one of the first printing companies to install a leaf digital camera and install a photo studio in 1997. So I was pretty disappointed when I received a letter back that said I was not qualified for this position at the Griffin.

Did it stop me? No, obviously.

As a result, I worked out a plan to never have anyone ever say I wasn’t qualified as an arts administrator ever again.

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

I have been surprised that there is so much to do to entertain oneself without turning on the television.

How do you involve photography in your everyday? Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

Photography is a part of my every day. It is in my work life. It’s in my home life. It’s in my down time.

I go to photography exhibits on my days off. I’m surrounded by photography on walls at home and office along with photo books.

And I own lots of them. Even if we do not actively seek out photographs we are constantly being influenced by a photograph in every waking moment.

I recently saw Photographer David James on a Zoom online presentation. As a result I bought Taschen’s book on the film by Nicholas Roeg called David Bowie In The Man Who Fell To Earth in which David James’ photo stills and behind the scenes photographs are featured.

It made me think of Cristina de Middel’s The Afronauts. While not one photograph, it was one source that caused my imagination to go wild with possibilities.

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

Right now I am going back and forth between The Overstory by Richard Powers and A Cloud a Day from the Cloud Appreciation Society

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one-on-one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

I would want to talk to my mother. We both left so much unspoken. She had such a wonderful sense of humor. I would just want to laugh together again.

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

It used to be the woods, but now I am afraid of ticks. Now it is my back yard under my favorite tree.

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin?

All of the exhibitions we have produced are my children and no mother should ever say they have a favorite child. I am very proud of all of our exhibitions. David Prifti: Drawn by Light, however has a very special place in my heart that becomes apparent when you see the installation.

Photoville’s Fence comes to Winchester

Posted on June 17, 2020

The Photoville FENCE is coming to Winchester from June 20, 2020 until the week of August 24, 2020.
Coming to see the Fence? Print out the map and artist locations before you come.

This 8th edition of The Photoville FENCE in Winchester is unlike any past exhibition of this year-round public photography project, including the exhibitions we and others have presented on the fences of SoWA and around Boston over the years. This exhibition will take the form of Photo-Xs with a 10-foot diameter, one of Photoville’s customizable, modular and transportable systems to exhibit photography indoors and outdoors. In the largest display of Photo-Xs, fifteen of these structures will be distributed throughout our Winchester Cultural District. Our installation is one of 13 installation sites in the United States and Canada.

We brought this exhibition to Winchester to celebrate our town becoming a cultural district, and because Winchester is an epicenter for photography. Though Winchester does not have the fencing required for the usual Photoville FENCE exhibition, its plentiful public spaces provide an opportunity for a one-of-a-kind exhibition that connects the town through photography and visual stories.

With this outdoor exhibition, our public gets to experience our town and its cultural institutions and businesses through a nice manageable walk and a scavenger hunt type journey. These installations are all ADA compliant. Masks and social distancing are required during these times. We ask visitors not to touch the installations for sanitary reasons and please maintain 6 feet of social distance.

The photographers of the 8th Edition of the Photoville FENCE and the New England Regional Showcase will be on view beginning June 20, 2020. We will install on June 17/18, 2020. A selection of photographs from the Winchester and Burlington High Schools will also be showcased on the Photo-Xs.

The Photoville FENCE exhibition was planned to open alongside a festival involving the cultural institutions of Winchester on June 20, 2020. The Festival would have been free for the public as well with advanced ticketing. Due to the virus we can not be able to move forward with a live festival. We will plan a virtual festival during the installation.

See two example photographs of the X’s from Photoville Fence in Winchester 8th edition.

An event and exhibition like this takes a village to produce. Our village includes the people of Photoville the photographers from all over the world who submitted to The Photoville FENCE, and the scores of jurors who reviewed this massive international project. On a local level, the Griffin Museum of Photography has such gratitude for Mary McKenna, AIA, LEED AP, Chair of the Winchester Cultural District whose vision and persistence kept us on track. We thank Lisa Wong, the Town Manager of Winchester, for her foresight and feedback. We thank the Winchester Cultural District and the Mass Cultural Council for funding, along with the Arthur Griffin Foundation (no relation to the Griffin Museum) and the Winchester Cultural Council. We also want to thank Ms. Levatino and Ms. Djordjevic of Winchester High School and Burlington High School for their organization and scanning efforts. Lastly, but not least at all, our gratitude goes to the interns for the Photoville FENCE from Winchester High School led by Mary McKenna. The map shown above was produced by Nathan Shepard of Winchester High School. This village wouldn’t be complete without our great public. We hope you will visit our town’s installation of the Photoville FENCE in Winchester.

Submissions are currently open for the 9th edition of The Photoville FENCE, which will be displayed in 9 cities between summer 2020 and summer 2021. Visit the website for details and to submit: fence.photovile.com

Any questions? Let us know. Visiting the Photoville FENCE in Winchester is free for all. Masks are manditory in public spaces during these times. Take out food for lunch or dinner in our many business establishments set up to control social distancing with established protocols. Shop our stores using social distancing protocols as well. Visit the Griffin Museum of Photography when we open, observing our social distancing protocols and using masks. All are welcome here when we finally open.

Check out the Winchester Star Article on the Photoville Fence in Winchester.

See the article in What Will You Remember by Suzanne Révy.

Press release for the Photoville Fence in Winchester.

PARTNERS

Griffin News

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin. How long have you been part of the Griffin team and describe your role.

How do you involve photography in your everyday? Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

How long have you been part of the Griffin team and describe your role at the Griffin?

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin.

How do you involve photography in your everyday?

Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin?

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin. How long have you been part of the Griffin team and describe your role at the Griffin.

How do you involve photography in your everyday? Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin (see online archive here ).

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

How do you involve photography in your everyday?

Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin.

How long have you been part of the Griffin team? Please describe your role at the Griffin

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin.

What has been the most eye-opening part of our time of physical distancing?

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one on one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin?

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin. How long have you been part of the Griffin team and please describe your role at the Griffin.

Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

How do you involve photography in your everyday?

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

Describe how you first connected with the Griffin.

What has been the most eye opening part of our time of physical distancing?

How do you involve photography in your everyday? Can you describe one photograph that recently caught your eye?

What is one book, song, or other visual obsession you have at the moment?

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a one-on-one conversation about anything, who would that person be and what would you talk about?

What is your favorite place to escape to in nature…mountains? beach? woods? and why?

What is one of your favorite exhibitions shown by the Griffin?

Footer