LittleRomances Format: Hardback

When considered as an object the photograph exists physically in the world, it belongs to someone; it gets held, it has weight, value. I’ve been interested in this concept for some time. It was this interest plus the recurrent use of my images online without my permission that motivated the creation of the series Little Romances. I have always made very personal work, my current emotional state and interests get translated directly into my images. Most all these images reflect questions and anxieties about being a woman, navigating what that means; what is expected of me as a mother, daughter, wife or lover versus what I’m capable of. In sharing my work online, sometimes it is treated with respect, but more often not. Not being asked for its use, and/or not being credited; it’s upsetting being treated that way especially with such personal images. In Little Romances I photograph prints of my photographs and they become a physical object; my object. I surround them with elements from my garden or other personal items not to evoke nostalgia or sentimentality but to deepen my physical connection/claim to these images and distance them from the viewer. The object-image becomes obscured, repurposed, diverted, so that its original intent remains safe from viewing and at the same time it explores a new narrative.

Jordanna Kalman lives and works in NY. Her work explores loneliness, femininity and individuality. She received her MA in photography from the London College of Communication, UK and her BFA in photography from Purchase College, NY. Jordanna has had her work shown nationally, internationally and extensively online. In addition to her practice she runs the online photography gallery Streit House Space and the Instagram residency program Streit Lab. She works on many different things very slowly all at once.

Jennifer Murray is an artist, educator, and curator based in Chicago. She is the Executive Director of Filter Photo, a nonprofit festival, exhibition, and educational space. Her research and professional practice spans photography based visual projects and curatorial projects. Her visual work utilizes both original images and photographic archives as she examines the cultural relationships and histories of objects. Recent curatorial projects include Furtive at the Chicago Cultural Center Michigan Avenue Galleries. Murray is a frequent curator, portfolio reviewer, and juror at photography events across the US including Aint-Bad Magazine, FotoFest, Photolucida’s Critical Mass, LensCulture, Society for Photographic Education, and Filter Photo. She received an MFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago in 2002. She teaches at Loyola University Chicago and is an independent artists' consultant.