Art Galleries

Christensen Center Art Gallery

ALONE TOGETHER
Dick Ott

May 20 – August 16, 2013

Dick Ott’s photographic series explores the state of social relations in the Twin Cities, observing the paradox of city life with minimal connections in public.

Originally from New York, Ott began his interest in photography at the age of nine when his father introduced him to the medium.  After completing his Social Anthropology PhD, Ott moved to Minnesota and studied photography through courses at the University of Minnesota and a workshop with Gary Winogrand.  His background in anthropology led him to his primary concentration of street photography.  He has traveled and documented the streets of China, Mexico, Canada, France, San Francisco and New York City.  Ott continues to work on a 25-year project that documents the street life of China.  For the past three years, he has been working with OverExposure Media, a non-profit that focuses on community based arts initiatives.  He currently lives and works in Bloomington, MN.

Artist Statement: As a street photographer for more than thirty years, I am an unswerving defender of the genre.  Making these images is the center of my photography.  When I shoot, I try to describe what I see on the street; it may not be truth, but it is not manipulated.  Incredibly difficult, this pursuit is frustrating because I am always trying to go beyond my past work.  Notice is given: These images are my attempt to describe for you the small dramas and isolated people you as a participant may not notice.
 

Gage Center Art Gallery

HERE and THERE
Shiraz Mukarram

May 20 – August 16, 2013

Mukarram’s recent photographic series documents the exploration of cultures in their own unique context.

 Shiraz Mukarram is a Pakistani-born photojournalist who has traveled extensively around the Middle East, Africa and the United States. He started his career early as a teenager, learning about the cultural riots and much deep-rooted issues in Karachi through reporting and photography. He first worked for The News International newspaper in Karachi, covering a wide range of news stories in the city. He was also an intern at The Dawn newspaper. After graduating, he moved to Northern Pakistan for a year, documenting the tragic consequences of war in Afghanistan and its impact on Pakistan. After receiving a B.A. in Journalism from Pakistan, he moved to the U.S. for a B.F.A. in Photography from the Minneapolis College of Arts and Design (MCAD). Since then, he has been making stories among the local Somali and Hmong communities in Minnesota.
Shiraz has shown his work locally and internationally, including India, Pakistan and Nepal. He has been the recipient of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Grant, D.C., Scripps Howard News Wire Service Fellowship, D.C. and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Grant in Karachi, Pakistan. He has also covered some local news stories in Washington and at the White House.

Artist Statement: A journalistic perspective is my instinctive gaze but I have strived to go beyond a visual capture and narration of (the) a human experience to create discursive loops. It has always been about the conversations that a photograph can generate, the emotional and intellectual reactions and sometimes actions, and the second look that repeats the process. My consistent focus has been on creating responsive discourse through photographs and alternative multimedia presentations, at once humane and analytical, of our evolving collectives.