For our first curatorial project at Kinhouse Gallery, we have brought together the work of 6 contemporary artists that are using photography as a way of marking time, place, or memory. The title of the show is taken after the following poem Dankyes (Mwaghavul), by Yrsa Daley-Ward.

Today is the first day

of the rest of it.

Of course there will be other first

days

But none exactly like this.

When I read this poem, I am reminded of the essence of what draws me to the selected artwork. Each work of art included in the show is a reference to a time, place, or memory. The works connect us to something ephemeral that the artists are trying to preserve, while simultaneously reminding us that what has passed cannot be re-experienced in the same way.

The artists manipulate time, such as through long exposure shots or repeatedly capturing an image of the same place. They combine materials, such as through adding elements that enhance our memory of the place, collaging and layering the photographs, or physically manipulating the images as part of the photo-taking process. There is an earnestness and a striving by the artists to capture an experience and present it to the viewer, but with the understanding that what they are trying to document cannot be perfectly done. In their way, these manipulated photographic artworks are the closest representation of a passed time, place, or memory that we can ask for. They evoke something inexpressible, delivering more than just a documentary image.

The same feelings of hope and melancholy are present when I think about this poem. I feel a recognition of what has come before, an appreciation for the present moment, and an awareness that this current moment will also pass.

Curator statement by Dana Caldera

September 6, 2024 - September 29, 2024