Sharp words from Alexandra Silverthorne for Brian Knight's show at Studio One Eight:
Knight's photographs are not the DC that I know. A quick re-cap: 7 photographs of monuments, 2 store fronts (one in NW and one in NE), 2 photographs from the Metro, 2 photographs depicting other modes of transportation (a cab and a locked-up bike), 1 protest shot, and 1 "illusion of safety" photograph depicting the signage outside a lock store. Yeah, they would be great in a tourist's photo albumb, but an "insightful portrayal of our nation's capital"? Where's the culture? the people?Dunno about the culture or the people, but I'm certain Silverthorne could make her first million off this tourist package concept: promising the visiting photographer seven monument glimpses, two contrasting gentrification snapshots, two escalator views, two composition-y urban traffic pattern images, one protest look, and one ironic comment on our crime emergenc(ies). The preferred tour transportation: naturally.
Anyway, I don't know anything about that show. But Studio One Eight: This gallery is nearly never open, yet it's parked in Adams Morgan, where one pays the high rents to enjoy the foot traffic. To be in the stream, to be a destination on the promenade. I wouldn't argue with the DCAC–Studio One Eight––Asylum–falafal place Saturday afternoon crawl, if that were an option. Meh. (Since it's not, I'm perfectly content to stay in with my roommate and watch affirmative programming for young, sassy women.
(Speaking of the culture and the people and the District, has anyone else noticed that the city has made leaps and bounds toward becoming . . . a city? Cap Fringe shows run for another week; soon we're even getting a DC Roller Girl league. Gotta say, they're looking a little soft in some of these pictures. It's going to be some time before DC can take on the ladies from Bodymore, Murdaland—much less the original skaters. Unless the District starts does some smart recruiting in the off-season.)
Posted by Kriston at July 24, 2006 9:44 AMi don't know if the cockpunching works on the ladies, though...but it's a thought!
Posted by: catherine at July 24, 2006 1:57 PMAs in, it's just one potential strategy you will soon employ as a DC Roller Girl?
Posted by: Kriston at July 24, 2006 2:26 PMI'm recruiting Becks, too—she's tough. I need another DC sport I can follow without betraying my roots.
Posted by: Kriston at July 24, 2006 2:31 PMholy shit, you mean i could've gotten paid ridiculous sums of money for the tourist shots i took last time i was there? what a racket.
Posted by: matty at July 28, 2006 3:57 PM