SEEN BETTER TIMES | Juror: Michael Borek
March 12 - April 07, 2024
On display at MEG through April 7, the exhibition features 24 images that depict scenes that have "seen better days." Juror Michael Borek says the images he chose from the 14 included photographers go behind the surface of obvious decay and "invite viewers to use their imaginations to finish the hint of a story that is sketched out, but unfinished."
Exhibition Artists: Soomin Ham, Tim Hyde, Eric Johnson, Irina Lawton, Sandy LeBrun-Evans, Matt Leedham, Francine B. Livaditis, Maureen Minehan, David Myers, Van Pulley, Sarah Hood Salomon, Alan Sislen, Tom Sliter and Fred Zafran
Juror’s Statement:
The title of this exhibition, Seen Better Days, could seduce less mature photographers into presenting only photos of peeling walls and decay. Follow the well-tested rules of composition, add high contrast, saturate the colors, and you have a recipe for aesthetically pleasing photos that most viewers will love. But, after a while, they become a bit boring, because there is nothing more behind the surface.
Since many of the photos I selected for this show depict scenes that have “seen better days,” they cannot help but show certain decay. But they go behind that surface, try unusual angles or crops, and invite viewers to use their imaginations to finish the hint of the story that is sketched out, but unfinished. Sometimes, what is not seen in the picture, but what is felt “around the corner,” is as important as what is in the frame. And some of the photos use a more allegorical approach, capturing the spirit of the title in a more abstract, philosophical way.
It was a privilege to juror the exhibition of my former colleagues. Enjoy. And go under the surface and around the corner. It is rewarding.
View the Exhibition
To view the exhibition, click on any image below and move through the gallery using the arrow keys on the screen or on your keyboard. To see the image titles when viewing the show on a computer, hover your cursor over the photograph and the title will appear in the bottom left corner. On mobile devices, the artist name and image title will automatically appear at the bottom of the screen.
