We are thrilled to present our first solo exhibition for Clarissa Bonet, whose photographic work is garnering terrific international press. City Space + Stray Light runs from September 9 – October 29, 2016.
There will be an opening reception on Friday, September 9, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. The artist will be in attendance.
The concept of place, and our relationship to it, is at the heart of Clarissa Bonet’s work, who was born and raised in Tampa, Florida – a coastal port city known for its amazing climate, sports teams, national defense outposts, and healthcare businesses. While the city is currently undergoing a population growth, it used to be a quiet place dominated by the warm gulf water. In 2010, Bonet moved to Chicago to attend graduate school at Columbia College Chicago. She immediately noticed the density of the city, its people, and its traffic. As she wandered the city, she was stunned by the isolation she felt among the throngs of people rushing along the sidewalks. It was this feeling that led her to City Space, an ongoing body of work about individuality in a large city.
Walking for hours, Bonet uses her phone to photograph the interactions between people, architecture and light. Later, she would revisit these places and recreate the feeling she had first experienced, hiring models to play specific roles at the precise time of day when the light was perfect. The resulting photographs are carefully staged memories that appear to be snapshots of everyday city life. As she states: “The urban space is striking. Its tall and mysterious buildings, crowds of anonymous people, and endless sea of concrete constantly intrigue me. The images I create provide a personal interpretation of the urban landscape.”
In 2014, Bonet embarked on a second ongoing project, Stray Light, which looks at the anonymity of people in their homes at night. Bonet photographs once the sun sets, capturing the colorful glows from hotel and apartment windows. Back in her studio, she carefully constructs each image from multiple photographs, transforming the urban cityscape into a constellation, as the mind tries to organize the information presented. Ultimately, the viewer is left dazzled by the glow emanating from windows that fill the city skies, much like the stars do on a clear night, far away from the lights of an urban landscape.
Clarissa Bonet (b. 1986) has already exhibited in numerous group shows in the United States. Her work can be found in the collections of the Southeast Museum of Photography (Daytona Beach, FL), The Haggerty Museum (Milwaukee, WI) and the JP Morgan Art Collection (New York, NY), as well as many private collections. Recent press includes articles in The Wall Street Journal, The Week, and PDN, among others.
Catherine Edelman Gallery
September 9 – October 29, 2016
300 W Superior St • Chicago