Exhibition Details
Wonder
Online Exhibition
January 31 - September 30, 2024
Virtual Reception and Artist’s Talks | February 29, 5 pm MT
Juror’s Award: Dominique Muñoz
Juror’s Honorable Mentions: René West and Mark Penland, Roxanne Huber, Dawnja Burris
Director’s Award: Jason Demarte
Director’s Honorable Mentions: Epiphany Couch, Dominque Muñoz, Mitchell Squire
Selected Artists: Marc Adesso, Grace Alley, Steve Anderson, Zemula Barr, Robin Bell, Amanda BernSohn, Greg Blair, Bonnie Blake, David Blow, John Bonath, Marlene Breitenstein, Thomas Brummett, Susan Bryant, Dawnja Burris, Audra Canestrari, E J Carr, Amy Carson, Lisa Cassell-Arms, Karen Constine, Epiphany Couch, Spencer Cunningham, Jason Demarte, Rajan Dosaj, Michael Duncan, Kes Efstathiou, Alex Eggleston, Jo Fields, Rick Gayle, Victoria Gewirz, Shawna Gibbs, Riley Goodman, Jane Gottlieb, Lingxue Hao, John Hesketh, Roxanne Huber, Susan Isaacson, David Johnson, Leah Koransky, Catherine Kunkemueller, Marie Laforge, Peter M Wach, Dominique Muñoz, Deborah Orloff, Jiaxian Peng, Diane Pepe, Allison Plass, Joel Rotenberg, Russ Rowland, John Santoni, Eric Skadson, Jessica Somers, Mitchell Squire, Sandra Stark, Rene West, Suzanne Williamson
Jurors Statement
Douglas McCulloh, Senior Curator and Interim Executive Director
University of California: California Museum of Photography
I think of this exhibition as cliff dives into a sea of wonder. I visualize high arcs of attention, awe, obsession. I sense the twist and aim. I imagine a simultaneous shutter click and splash. After all, the practice of photography is an undeniable wonder—photographs intertwine the tangible with the intangible, the visible with the unseen.
In their finest form, photographs reveal hidden lives glimmering through the outlines of the everyday. They seize a fleeting world of light and shadow that will never come again. They transport us to wonders that lie far beyond our own horizons. They transmute the mundane into the extraordinary, the deeply personal into the universal. Finally, the photographs that touch us most deeply let us wander into the frame carrying our own experience, consciousness, and meaning. In doing all these things, the photographers of this exhibition invite us into realms of wonder.
But perhaps the most profound aspect of the relationship between photography and wonder lies in its ability to ignite our imagination. Photographs have the power to spark curiosity and inspire contemplation, pulling us toward fresh perceptions and deep discovery. “I really believe,” said Diane Arbus, “there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.”
At its core, this exhibition is a conduit for wonder, presenting fleeting moments of magic and inviting viewers to embark on a journey of exploration and awe. In a world shadowed by routine and familiarity, these photographs remind us to pause, to look, to think, and to marvel at the wonders that surround us.
