Statement

We live in a post-privacy world, an image-obsessed society where cameras are everywhere. With or without our knowledge, we are being photographed countless times a day. We try to avoid people pointing smartphones and other hand-held cameras at us as we walk down the street, but are we conscious of the cameras lurking above us? They watch us eat in restaurants, see who we meet, record who we talk to, yet as we become more accustomed to their presence, we stop paying attention. As our political situation becomes more fractured, shouldn’t we care about being watched? And about who is watching? I make these photographs to raise questions that come from the claustrophobic sense of being constantly observed.

BeSeeingYou is made up of multiple projects dealing with photography without permission, and the absence of privacy. Each series has led to the next, and I look for different ways to photograph aspects of the gray area that is surveillance in our modern age. I have photographed strangers through glass store windows, to catch them at the moment they realize that an unknown person is taking their picture. I point my camera at the cameras that are watching me, and photograph the buildings, walls and streets where they hide in plain sight. The frequent appearance of surveillance cameras on television, not just on the news or crime shows, but on comedies, hospital dramas, even The Simpsons, normalizes the presence of surveillance in our lives. So while the shows have these cameras as part of the story or just part of the set design, I include them in this project. Warning signs, CCTV suspects from the news, and even my own reflection caught in the dome of the camera are some of the additional parts of this long-term project. I show the photographs separately or mixed together in groups or lines of images, telling stories of the different ways that surveillance that has invaded our streets and our homes, impacting our privacy.

I am grateful to the Puffin Foundation for providing funding for this project. -SLB

Website

Bio

Born in the Bronx, Sheri Lynn Behr studied photography and digital imaging in New YorkCity and began her career photographing musicians and celebrities back in the day. Her rock and roll photographs were featured in Rolling Stone, CREEM, and most music publications of the time, and are now collected, exhibited, and published in books and magazines.

After several years working in the music business, Behr decided to concentrate on personal work. She explored Polaroid manipulations, and two SX-70 photographs are currently on view in the book and exhibition The Polaroid Project, now traveling to cities in Europe and Asia, before finishing at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, MA. Other projects have examined New York City’s Chinatowns and the iconic Lucky Cat.

Recent work deals with photography without permission and our surveillance society. Behr’s photographs have been exhibited at national and international venues, including the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, The Westlicht Museum of Photography, The Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Davis-Orton Gallery, Kimmel Gallery at NYU, and the Griffin Museum of Photography. Her work has been featured in Harper’s Magazine, New York Magazine, Slate: Behold blog, People’s Photography (China), Lenscratch, aCurator, The Boston Globe, and many other publications. In 2012 she received a Fellowship in Photography from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and in 2018 received a grant from the Puffin Foundation.

CV

BORN
Bronx, New York, USA

AWARDS
2018 PUFFIN FOUNDATION ARTIST GRANT, Puffin Foundation, Teaneck, NJ

2015 Juror’s Award ILLUMINATE, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO

3rd Place Award MAINE MEDIA WORKSHOPS PIN-UP SHOW, B&H, New York, NY

Honorable Mention SOHO PHOTO NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION, New York, NY

2014 Honorable Mention WHAT IS A PORTRAIT? Ripe Art Gallery, Huntington, NY

2013 Honorable Mention FACES, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct. VT

2012 INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIP FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, New Jersey State Council on the Arts

Honorable Mention THE CAMERA CLUB OF NEW YORK 2012 ANNUAL JURIED COMPETITION, New York, NY

SELECTED SOLO & TWO or THREE-PERSON SHOWS

2018 BESEEINGYOU Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA, June 2018

2017 KEEPING WATCH Colorado Photographic Arts Center (CPAC), Denver, CO

2015 NOT FOR PUBLICATION No Roses, Sherman Oaks, CA

2014 BUSHWICK OPEN STUDIOS Bushwick Project Garage, Brooklyn, NY

2013 TO BRING IN THE MONEY II No Roses, Sherman Oaks, CA

2011 TO BRING IN THE MONEY No Roses, Sherman Oaks, CA

2004 I AM NOT WHERE I AM NOW Almanac Gallery of Photography, Hoboken, NJ

2003 ROCK AND ROBOTS Orbit Gallery, Edgewater, NJ

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS

2018 QUIÉN? QUÉ? DÓNDE? curated by Paula Tognarelli, Lafayette City Center Passageway, Boston, MA

STRUCTURE Don’t Take Pictures, Online Exhibition

THE POLAROID PROJECT Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

WINTERTIME Don’t Take Pictures, Online Exhibition

SMALL WORKS BARUCH 2018 juried by Elizabeth Avedon, Sidney Mishkin Gallery, New York, NY

TREE TALK ON-LINE EXHIBITION Griffin Museum of Photography Virtual Gallery

2017 THE POLAROID PROJECT WestLicht Museum for Photography, Vienna, Austria

PORTRAITS: WITHIN TIME + SPACE juried by Elizabeth Avedon, SXSE Gallery, Molena, GA

SIZE MATTERS juried by Katherine Ware, Helmuth Projects, San Diego, CA

UNNATURAL ELECTION curated by Andrea Arroyo, Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck, NJ

THIRD ANNUAL GROUP SHOW juried by Paula Tognarelli, Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson NY

SOHO PHOTO NAT’L PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION juried by Aline Smithson, Soho Photo, New York, NY

THE POLAROID PROJECT, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX

UNNATURAL ELECTION curated by Andrea Arroyo, Out North Contemporary Art House, Anchorage, AK

UNNATURAL ELECTION curated by Andrea Arroyo, Kimmel Galleries at NYU, New York, NY

THE CURATED FRIDGE curated by Elin Spring, Somerville, MA

MASKS Don’t Take Pictures, Online Exhibition

2016 AMERICA juried by Roger May, Light Leaked, Online Exhibition

WINTER SOLSTICE 2016 Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA

POLITICO POPUP2 curated by Leona Strassberg Steiner, New Orleans Art Center, New Orleans, LA

WATER juried by Richard McCabe, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO

2ND ANNUAL GROUP SHOW juried by Paula Tognarelli, Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY

GRIFFIN MUSEUM 22TH JURIED EXHIBITION juried by Elizabeth Avedon, Winchester, MA

THE ELEVATED SELFIE curated by Laura Moya & Laura Valenti, Griffin Gallery at Stoneham Theater, Stoneham MA

THE ELEVATED SELFIE curated by Laura Moya & Laura Valenti, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE a Benefit for Visual AIDS, Sikkima Jenkins & Co, New York, NY

2015 POLITICO POP-UP curated by Leona Strassberg Steiner, New Orleans Art Center, New Orleans, LA

GREETINGS FROM… 5 Press Gallery, New Orleans, LA

ILLUMINATE juried by Elizabeth Avedon, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO

WINTER SOLSTICE 2015 Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA

SIZE MATTERS juried by Gordon Stettinius, Medium Festival of Photography, Low Gallery, San Diego, CA

MAINE MEDIA WORKSHOPS PIN-UP SHOW, B&H, New York, NY

I/THOU curated by Pamela Tinnen, Stovall Family Galleries, Kimmel Center at NYU, New York, NY

THE CURATED FRIDGE:THE INAUGURAL SHOW curated by Caleb Cole, Somerville, MA

YOU’VE GOT MAIL Ground Floor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

SOHO PHOTO NAT’L PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION juried by Elizabeth Avedon, Soho Photo, New York, NY

SKY curated by Paula Tognarelli, Lafayette City Center Passageway Gallery, Boston, MA

EARLY WORKS Photographic Resource Center, Boston, MA

www.sherilynnbehr.com | slbehr3@gmail.com

sheri lynn behr: photography

2014 WHAT IS A PORTRAIT? juried by Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Ripe Art Gallery, Huntington, NY

WINTER SOLSTICE 2014 Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA

THE PERPETUAL INSTANT juried by Grant Hamilton, Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA

NEXT Castell Photography, Asheville, NC

SKY curated by Paula Tognarelli, YourDailyPhotograph.com

GRIFFIN MUSEUM 20TH JURIED EXHIBITION juried by Aline Smithson, Winchester, MA

IMPROMPTU juried by Stella Kramer, The Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct. VT

UP, CLOSE & PERSONAL curated by Ruben Natal San-Miguel, Fuchs Projects, Brooklyn, NY

THEN.NOW.HERE (slideshow) curated by Laura Moya and Laura Valenti, Blue Sky Gallery, Portland OR,

THEN.NOW.HERE (slideshow) Oregon Historical Society, Portland OR

EARLY WORKS The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO

RISING WATERS 2.0: MORE PHOTOGRAPHS OF SANDY The Museum of the City of New York, New York, NY

2013 FACES Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct. VT

CENTER FORWARD juried by Hamidah Glasgow, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO

NJ STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS: VISUAL ARTS FELLOWSHIP SHOWCASE EXHIBITION

Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, NJ

MUSINGS juried by John A. Bennette, Photo Center NW, Seattle, WA

EARLY WORKS curated by Laura Moya and Laura Valenti, Newspace Center for Photography, Portland OR

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

PRINT

2017 THE POLAROID PROJECT: ART AND TECHNOLOGY, Thames & Hudson, London, pp. 55, 282

FINDINGS Harper’s Magazine, March 2017, p.96

2016 A JUROR’S VERDICT, REENACTORS, AND ABDUCTEES AT GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY, Boston Globe, Mark Feeney, 7.25.16

THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY’S 22TH JURIED SHOW:THE PETER URBAN LEGACY EXHIBITION catalog

2015 NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD, Harvey Kubernik, Backbeat Books

SKY exhibition catalog

2014 BLOW ME A KISS, Alice Harris, PowerHouse Books

THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY’S 20TH JURIED SHOW:THE PETER URBAN LEGACY EXHIBITION exhibition catalog: Back Cover

IMPROMPTU exhibition catalog

2013 FACES exhibition catalog

CENTER FORWARD 2013 exhibition catalog, MagCloud

NOSAFEDISTANCE-SHERI LYNN BEHR People’s Photography (China) 5.29.13

SMILE exhibition catalogue, A Smith, Blurb

2011 BLONDIE, UNBOWED, New York Magazine 8.21.11

2010 LUCKY CATS, Blurb (self-published)

DARYL HALL, New York Magazine, I2.26.10

2009 CHILDHOOD, Light Leaks Magazine issue 14

ROAD TRIP, Light Leaks Magazine issue 13

ONLINE

2018 ON PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE L’Oeil de la Photographie, 2.6.18

2017 PORTRAITS: South x Southeast Photo Gallery Molena, GA November 11th, 2017, Elizabeth Avedon Journal, 11.6.17

KEEPING WATCH:HASAN ELAHI, LAUREN GRABELLE, AND SHERI LYNN BEHR, LENSCRATCH, Aline Smithson, 8.3.17

SHERI LYNN BEHR, Underexposed Magazine, Davìda Carta, 5.20.17

2016 SECOND THAT EMOTION, What Will You Remember? Elin Spring, 7.28.16

KEEPING TRACK OF ALL THE CAMERAS, Slate: BEHOLD, David Rosenberg, 3.29.16

THE SUCCESS OF “EARLY WORKS” All-About-Photo, Ann Jastrab 2.29.16

2015 SHERI LYNN BEHR: NOMATTERWHERE, aCurator, Julie Grahame, 11.3.15

SHERI LYNN BEHR: JANICE MONGER’S PICK, L’Oeil de la Photographie, 2.23.15

NOSAFEDISTANCE, TheSIP, The Shpilman Institute for Photography, Tel Aviv, Israel 2.1.15

THE PHOTO REVIEW 2014 COMPETITION: STRUCTURES, The Photo Review 4.15

LAURA MOYA AND LAURA VALENTI: EARLY WORKS, Lenscratch 2.6.15

2014 CASTELL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION, L’Oeil de la Photographie Elizabeth Avedon 11.7.14

PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE MAKEOVER: SHERI LYNN BEHR, Feature Shoot 8.14.14

SHERI LYNN BEHR: No Safe Distance, Elizabeth Avedon Journal 8.5.14

WHAT YOU SEE, Orta Format (Turkey), Issue 13, 7.14

NO SAFE DISTANCE, ToneLit Magazine, Issue 8, 5.14

UP, CLOSE & PERSONAL, New York Photo Review, Norman Borden, 4.14

UP, CLOSE & PERSONAL @ FUCHS PROJECTS, American Suburb X, Ellen Wallenstein, 4.14

2013 NOSAFEDISTANCE, Square Magazine issue 4.3, Christophe Dillinger

PORTFOLIO: I AM NOT WHERE I AM NOW, Toy Camera, www.toycamera.es

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, Feature Shoot interview, Ben Marcin, 10.23.13

PHOTOLUCIDA-SHERI LYNN BEHR, wall-space gallery | the flat file, Crista Dix, 7.2.13

PHOTOLUCIDA-SHERI LYNN BEHR: 3 SERIES WITHOUT PERMISSION, LENSCRATCH, 6.27.13

SHERI LYNN BEHR, New Landscape Photography, Willson Cummer, 6.26.13

FRACTION 50, Fraction Magazine, Issue 50-Group 1, David Bram, 5.1.13

2012 YOUR HOLIDAY PICTURES: SHERI LYNN BEHR, le journal de la photographie, 8.22.12

SELF CONTAINED, PHOTO/arts magazine, Christopher Paquette

SERIAL, F-STOP MAGAZINE #53, Cristy Karpinski

DONATIONS AND BENEFITS

2017 Postcards From the Edge 2017, Metro Pictures, New York, NY

2016 18th Annual Postcards From The Edge, A Benefit for Visual AIDS, Sikkema Jenkins & Co. New York, NY

2015 17th Annual Postcards From The Edge, A Benefit for Visual AIDS, Luhring Augustine, New York, NY

2014 Design on A Dime 2014, Paddle8 online auction, Housing Works

2013 Design on A Dime 2013, Housing Works

2012 Design on A Dime 2012, Housing Works

2011 Life Support Japan, wall-space gallery

2010 Photographers for Haiti, Verge Art Fair

12th Annual Postcards from the Edge, A Benefit for Visual AIDS, ZieherSmith, New York City

2008 Night of 1000 Drawings, Artists Space

Texas Photographic Society Auction XIV

COLLECTIONS

Colorado Photographic Arts Center (CPAC), Denver, CO

AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Atlantic City, NJ

Newark Public Library Special Collections Division

Photographers Network: Selection – Thomas Kellner Collection

Comer Collection of Photography, University of Texas at Dallas

California Museum of Photography

The Media Center at Visual Studies Workshop

The Polaroid Collection

The Polaroid International Collection

Private collections in the US and Europe

TELEVISION/RADIO/ARTIST TALKS

2011 TAKE5ive WIN Initiative, New York City

2006 OPEN JOURNAL KPFT Radio 90.1, Pacifica Houston, TX

2003 THE CULTURAL CONNECTION Ch. 10 News, Time Warner Bergen, NJ

EDUCATION

MAINE MEDIA WORKSHOPS

INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY

THE NEW SCHOOL

SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS

PRATT MANHATTAN