Description:
This exhibition, curated by Lyle Rexer, presents photographs and photo-based installations, many exhibited for the first time, that explore the territory of “undisclosed” or abstract imagery in all its forms. These investigations range from artifacts of the process of recording the action of light without the benefit or limitation of a camera lens (as seen in the work of Ellen Carey, Michael Flomen, and Ilan Wolff) to direct photographs of surfaces that generate pattern and optical uncertainty (Roland Fischer) to images that comment on our culture of images (Penelope Umbrico and Carel Balth). In some works, documentary references are all but expunged, creating a new class of aesthetic objects. Others test the limits of the familiar. All of these works involve a profound questioning of what role photographs play in contemporary visual culture.

The organization of the exhibition highlights the investigative nature of contemporary photography. An introductory section, Propositions, introduces viewers to a range of techniques, visual effects, and critical positions. The core of the exhibition is a series of single-artist installations that display the stunning range of these photographers’ insights. They free the photograph from its familiar social and temporal references, aiding in the discovery of new possibilities of metaphoric suggestiveness, psychological engagement, and optical possibility.

Contains photography by: Bill Armstrong, Carel Balth, Ellen Carey, Roland Fischer, Michael Flomen, Manuel Geerinck, Shirine Gill, Barbara Kasten, Seth Lambert, Charles Lindsay, Irene Mamiye, Chris McCaw, Edward Mapplethorpe, Roger Newton, Beatrice Pediconi, Jack Sal, Penelope Umbrico, Randy West, Silvio Wolf, and Ilan Wolff

The Edge of Vision is made possible, in part, by the Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program, the Dedalus Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the W. P. Carey Foundation. Additional support is provided by Carey C. Shuart and the Mondriaan Foundation.

Contents:
The exhibition consists of nine installations and twelve individual images. There are also six videos. The installations, including many large-scale pieces, are by Carel Balth (Netherlands), Ellen Carey (U.S.), Michael Flomen (Canada), Charles Lindsay (U.S.), Jack Sal (U.S. and Italy), Penelope Umbrico (U.S.), Silvio Wolf (Italy) and Ilan Wolff (Spain and Israel). Individual works are by: Bill Armstrong (U.S.), Roland Fischer (Germany), Manuel Geerinck (Belgium and U.S.), Shirine Gill (U.S.), Barbara Kasten (U.S.), Seth Lambert (U.S.), Irene Mamiye (U.S.), Chris McCaw (U.S.), Edward Mapplethorpe (U.S.), Roger Newton (U.S.), Beatrice Pediconi (Italy), Jack Sal (U.S. and Italy), and Randy West (U.S.).

Book:
The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography
By Lyle Rexer
292 pages
180 four-color images
Hardcover with jacket
$49.95

Participation Fee:
Please call Annette Booth at (212) 946-7128.
$11,000 for an 8-week showing. The host venue is responsible for pro-rated shipping and insurance.

Availability:
The exhibition is available through 2013.

Current Venue List:

• Center for Creative Photography
  1030 N. Olive Road
  Tucson, AZ
  Saturday, September 4, 2010–Sunday, November 28, 2010
• Cornell Fine Arts Museum
  1000 Holt Avenue
  Winter Park, FL
  Tuesday, January 4, 2011–Wednesday, March 30, 2011
• Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery, Lewis and Clark College
  0615 S.W. Palantine Hill Rd.
  Portland, OR
  Thursday, January 19, 2012–Sunday, March 18, 2012
• Schneider Museum of Art
  1250 Siskiyou Blvd
  Ashland, OR
  Thursday, May 10, 2012–Saturday, June 16, 2012
• Clay Center for the Arts
  One Clay Square
  Charleston, WV
  Saturday, July 14, 2012–Sunday, September 16, 2012
• Louisiana Art & Science Museum
  Baton Rouge, LA
  Wednesday, January 16, 2013–Sunday, April 14, 2013