LJ and his Fort © Rashod Taylor

REFLECTING VOICES

ALANNA AIRITAM, NARKITA GOLD, & RASHOD TAYLOR

February 19 – April 17, 2021 

As part of the Month of Photography Denver Festival March 2021

COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER

1070 BANNOCK ST, DENVER, CO 80204

Art exhibit viewing times: Tues. – Fri. (11 am – 5 pm); Sat. (noon – 4 pm)

OPENING RECEPTION & PROGRAMMING:
SATURDAY, MARCH 6 & WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

VIRUTAL PANEL DISCUSSION

If you were unable to participate in the Zoom panel discussion or would like to watch again, please click on the recording below.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

As part of our ongoing efforts to amplify the voices of underrepresented artists, the Colorado Photographic Arts Center presents Reflecting Voices – a collection of photographs from bodies of work by Alanna Airitam, Narkita Gold, and Rashod Taylor. In photography, light that reflects off a subject is most often what the camera records to produce a photograph. Here the subject is diverse expressions of black identity. Alanna’s tribute to Black culture as realized through characteristics of Dutch portraiture and the Harlem Renaissance; Narkita’s revealing portraits of Denver’s Black community seen through bright, colorful backgrounds; Rashod’s testimony of the Black American experience documented through an intimate study of family. It is an honor to spotlight these artists, who each reflect on identity, race, and legacy in their own way through the art of portraiture. With this exhibition we seek to provide the space to reflect, engage in conversation, and respond to our current moment. Curated by Samantha Johnston, CPAC Executive Director & Curator. 

This special on-site exhibit at CPAC is in celebration of Month of Photography (MoP), a biennial celebration of fine art photography with hundreds of events throughout the Denver Metro region in March 2021. For a complete list of exhibitions and events, visit denvermop.org.

Como parte de nuestros esfuerzos continuos para amplificar las voces de artistas subrepresentados, El Centro de Artes fotográficas de Colorado presenta Reflecting Voices, una colección de fotografías de obras de Alanna Airitam, Narkita Gold y Rashod Taylor. En fotografía, la luz que se refleja en un sujeto suele ser lo que la cámara graba para producir una fotografía. Aquí el tema es diversas expresiones de la identidad negra. El tributo de Alanna a la cultura negra, tal y como se refleja en las características del retrato holandés y el Renacimiento de Harlem; Los reveladores retratos de Narkita de la comunidad negra de Denver vistos a través de fondos brillantes y coloridos; El testimonio de Rashod de la experiencia afroamericana documentado a través de un estudio íntimo de la familia. Es un honor destacar a estos artistas, quienes reflexionan sobre la identidad, la raza y el legado a su manera a través del arte del retrato. Con esta exposición buscamos brindar el espacio para reflexionar, entablar conversación y responder a nuestro momento actual. Curada por Samantha Johnston, directora ejecutiva y curadora de CPAC.

Esta exhibición es en celebración del Mes de la Fotografía (MoP), una celebración bienal de fotografía de bellas artes con cientos de eventos en toda la región metropolitana de Denver en marzo de 2021. Para obtener una lista completa de exhibiciones y eventos, visite denvermop.org.

Read Statements from the Artists on the exhibition

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Questioning generalized stereotypes and the lack of fair and equal representation of people of color in art spaces has led artist Alanna Airitam to research critical historical omissions and how those contrived narratives represent and influence succeeding generations. Her photographic series The Golden Age, Crossroads, White Privilege, and individual works such as Take a Look Inside and How to Make a Country ask the viewer to question who they are and how they choose to be seen.

Airitam’s portraits and vanitas are photographed in studio with minimal lighting rendering a painterly quality to her photographs. The archival pigment prints from The Golden Age series are hand-varnished while those in the Crossroads, Take a Look Inside and How to Make a Country series are archival prints encased in resin and placed in hand-welded frames. All works are produced by the artist in limited editions.

Alanna is a 2020 San Diego Art Prize winner, 2020 Top 50 Critical Mass Finalist, and recipient of the 2020 Michael Reichmann Project Grant Award. Her photographs have been exhibited at Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago, Quint Gallery in San Diego, San Diego Art Institute, Art Miami with Catherine Edelman, Athenaeum Art Center in San Diego, and Candela Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. Airitam’s work has been acquired for the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s collection. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Airitam now resides in Tucson, Arizona.

Narkita Gold (Nashville,1987) is a Denver-based artist who has been honing her skills in digital photography since 2009. Originally a public relations professional, Gold blends her gift of photography with storytelling, creating a perfect marriage of her two passions. Her first creative endeavor, Black in Denver, is a portrait and interview series that takes a critical look at identity, specifically at small black communities, solitude, and the evolution of the self. Gold’s approach includes participant observation, empathy interviews, and surveying both locals and transplants to gain a better understanding of black life in Denver. The artist is passionate about people, arts and culture, and finds inspiration in the human experience, our purpose here, city life, and architecture.

Rashod Taylor is a fine art and portrait photographer whose work addresses themes of family, culture, legacy, and the black experience. He attended Murray State University and received a Bachelor’s degree in Art with a specialization in Fine Art Photography. Since then, Rashod’s work has been exhibited and published across the United States and internationally. He is a 2020 Critical Mass Top 50 Finalist and was a winner of Lens Culture’s Critics Choice award. Rashod’s work has been featured in Lenscratch, Feature Shoot, Buzzfeed News and Analog Forever magazine. He is currently working on a series called Little Black Boy, where he documents his son’s life while examining the Black American experience and fatherhood. He lives in Bloomington, IL, with his wife and son.

 Reflecting Voices Caption Sheet (PDF) 

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