Congratulations to Alan Sislen whose solo exhibition, AMAZING ASPENS, at MEG earlier this year was included in Louis Jacobson’s 7 Standout Photography Exhibits in 2023.
Colorado Valley View ©Alan Sislen
Seven Standout Photography Exhibits of 2023
Louis Jacobson, City Paper’s photography critic, recalls the best, most creative exhibitions of 2023 at area venues both big and small, plus some other noteworthy shows.
Venues both big and small mounted trenchant photography exhibits in 2023. In the big category, the National Gallery of Art, the Phillips Collection, and the American University Museum all offered worthwhile exhibitions of images from decades past, while smaller galleries—including Photoworks, Multiple Exposures Gallery, and Gallery B—opened their venues to works by talented local photographers.
As City Paper’s photography critic, I have assembled a list of the top exhibits in the D.C. area on a (mostly) annual basis since 2001. This year, I’ve selected—and ranked—seven exhibits that merit a place on the list of best photography exhibits of 2023 in the Washington area. I have also included three additional exhibits beyond the bounds of photography that deserve a special mention this year.
3. Alan Sislen at Multiple Exposures Gallery
Maryland-based photographer Alan Sislen mounted an entire exhibit on the quaking aspen, a tree anchored by a silvery, cylindrical trunk and decorated with bright yellow leaves. The exhibit included a few black-and-white images, but the payoff came with his intricately detailed color photographs. In one particularly pleasing example, titled “Zorro Was Here,” the aspen canopy seemed to have the texture of velvet.