The Space Between
The Space Between
Colorado Photographic Arts Center
1070 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80204
August 14-September 23, 2020
Curated by Samantha Johnston
Admission: Free
Review by Laura I. Miller
One of the things Samantha Johnston, executive director of the Colorado Photographic Arts Center (CPAC), likes best about her job is the opportunity to pair artists whose work wouldn’t otherwise be shown together. The Space Between combines photographs by Kris Sanford with photographs, video, and audio from Philip Matthews and David Johnson. The exhibition highlights similarities between the work while also provoking insight into the artists’ divergent methods.
Kris Sanford, Bathing Suits, 2015, archival digital print, unique edition #1/20. © Kris Sanford. Image courtesy of Colorado Photographic Arts Center.
Sanford’s 1920s–1950s archival prints were inspired by a group of snapshots passed down from her grandmother and show women pictured together and men pictured together in intimate embraces. The photos’ circular crop obscures the subjects’ eyes and re-focuses the viewer’s attention on their gestures. Many of the individuals wear joyful smiles and show playfulness in their postures. Through these images, Sanford imagines a more inclusive narrative in which same-sex intimacy is celebrated.
Kris Sanford, Folding Chairs, 2015, archival digital print, unique edition #1/10. © Kris Sanford. Image courtesy of Colorado Photographic Arts Center.
An installation view of work by Kris Sanford in the exhibition The Space Between at the Colorado Photographic Art Center. Image by Samantha Johnston, courtesy of the Colorado Photographic Arts Center.
In the photo Folding Chairs, two women sit side-by-side with their legs crossed, a hand folded in each lap. The women’s other hands are interlocked in a secret clasp of affection. In a discussion facilitated by Carolina Ebeid for Lighthouse Writers Workshop and CPAC, Sanford said the image was from a class photo with more than 20 people who’ve been cropped out.
“They’re sneaking in this little action right before the picture’s being taken,” Sanford said. “There’s a sensuality to it even though the context is potentially wildly different.”
For Sanford’s work, The Space Between has a layered meaning. It’s represented through the distance between imagination and reality as well as the temporal distance of 70 to 100 years between the time the images were taken and their present exhibition. The reimagined context and the artist’s reframing of the subjects brings new life to the photographs and creates another dimension of intimacy that I find rare in portraiture.
An installation view of work by David Johnson in collaboration with Philip Matthews in the exhibition The Space Between at the Colorado Photographic Art Center. Image by DARIA.
In the next section of the exhibition, Philip Matthews serves as the subject of David Johnson’s photo and video lenses. The photos show Matthews as he appears in daily life, Matthews in transition to becoming Petal—his drag alter ego—and Petal in full costume. Johnson depicts these versions of Matthews primarily in nature, most often on the beach or in the woods. In the same discussion for Lighthouse and CPAC, Matthews described the process of realizing Petal as frightening but ultimately cathartic.
“I was trained to be suspicious—if not afraid—of straight men. Allowing Petal to be witnessed… a kind of healing happened as a result of that,” Matthews said.
David Johnson in collaboration with Philip Matthews, Fort 040, 2015, archival pigment on print Dibond, unique edition #1/10. © David Johnson. Image courtesy of Colorado Photographic Arts Center.
David Johnson in collaboration with Philip Matthews, Paul’s 032, 2016, archival pigment on Dibond, unique edition #1/10. © David Johnson. Image courtesy of Colorado Photographic Arts Center.
Many of the photographs show Matthews in conflict, with painful or sobering facial and body gestures, whereas Petal’s portraits project confidence. In Fort 404, she stands atop a building with her elbows akimbo. In Paul’s 032, she stares directly into the camera, returning the photographer’s gaze and ours. Johnson mentioned that though he’d been friends with Matthews prior to taking the photos, the collaboration contributed to a deeper relationship.
The accompanying videos, which include audio of Matthews reading poetry from his latest collection, Wig Heavier Than a Boot (Kris Graves Project), contribute to the somber tone of the work. With lines like “I am married to two angels” and “It will be days before I look at you again,” the poetry further expresses the conflict between power and gender expression for Matthews.
The similarities between Sanford’s and Johnson’s two series are striking: both photographers use black-and-white portraiture to explore queer identities. However, it’s their differences that make this pairing memorable. While Sanford projects her viewpoint outward, creating art from artifact, Johnson and Matthews journey inward, revealing layers of conflict within the psyche. Perhaps most importantly, these differing approaches make it possible for both artists to reframe their pasts growing up queer and closeted, and experience new growth.
Laura I. Miller is a Denver-based writer, editor, and arts supporter. Her reviews have appeared in Lit Hub, Electric Literature, Bustle, and elsewhere. She received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Arizona.
