New Exhibit "The Instant" Begins July 26th

posted by Dave

From their press release:
We are pleased to announce the opening of The Instant, a group exhibition of artists working with Polaroid’s instant photography. On February 8, 2008, the Polaroid Corporation declared that it would discontinue the production of all instant film. Abandonment of the Polaroid process is a direct result of the digital revolution, marking the medium as a moment in photographic history that exists between a tradition of alchemy and new digital imaging. An anomaly in photographic reproduction, Polaroid is a self-developing, unique object that stands independent from traditional photography and is unmatched by its replacement. It is the accessible qualities of the instant that made it popular in mass photography and generated a cult value within the art world.

The Instant, curated by Katharine Barthelme and Louise Ingalls Sturges, will exhibit 12 contemporary artists who currently use Polaroid photography as the foundation of their work. Originally, Polaroid was not intended for aesthetic purpose, it reduces artistic control to a selection of the eye and instinct. The artists in The Instant embrace the limitations of Polaroid to create a rare object that is able to maintain an aura of originality unknown to analog and digital. This exhibition will recognize the passing of a significant medium within the history of photography and hopes to secure a place for Polaroid in the encroaching post photographic era.

Featuring:
JEAN FREDERIC BOURDIER
SEAN COUSIN
ANDREW DE FRANCESCO
JORDAN GREENHALGH
SCOTT HAMMOND
GRANT HAMILTON
JAMIE LUND
RACHEL MONTOYA
LOUISE INGALLS STURGES
JEFFREY THOMPSON
GRANT WORTH
JOSHUA ROBIN WILES

With Performances by:
CHING CHONG SONG – 9:30
BRIAN MARKHAM – 10:30
SSPS – 11:30

The Instant will open from 7-9pm on the July 26th, 2008 at the Texas Fire House in Long Island City. The Texas Firehouse is located in a 150+ year-old historic firehouse in Long Island City, New York, just across the river from Roosevelt Island and Manhattan (best rooftop BBQ view in town). Housing studios and shop space, the Texas Firehouse is transformed for one night into a gallery and performance space. For more information please contact iheartpolaroid@gmail.com or see www.theinstant.org for details.

Special thanks to exhibitor Sean Cousin for reminding us about this. And be sure to check out his great Pola-blog.