Issue 139 – October 2020

Guest Curator: J Houston

There has almost always been a slight slippage between how I’ve existed and how I’ve wanted to present, which extended beyond simply aesthetics into the entirety of how I moved through the rest of the world. I, we, sometimes need something completely separate to truly thrive, and that’s what these photographers build for their own communities. There’s a familiar lens to much of the work within the photographic canon: images and aesthetics we can easily decipher as coming directly from the world we are (often) forced to participate in. What happens when artists world-build and use an unfamiliar lens can transform this everyday; recognizable objects and faces blend with unexpected light and fantasy into a world with surprising possibility.

J Houston (they/them) studied art and gender theory at Carnegie Mellon University and is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Their photos made with the trans community were shown at Houston Center for Photography, Turner Contemporary, Aviary Gallery, Amos Eno Gallery, CONTACT Gallery, Miller Institute of Contemporary Art, and Siena Heights University.

www.j-houston.com
instagram.com/j__houston

Proceeds from sales in October for our Print Sale Fundraiser will be donated to For the Gworls. For the Gworls raises funds to assist with rent and affirmation surgery for Black trans individuals.

Build your collection – support artists and organizations!

Charcoal Book Club – octoBER 2020