Support the Arts
We rely on the generosity of our members and donors to keep our gallery accessible to all. Become a member today and enjoy exclusive benefits.
We rely on the generosity of our members and donors to keep our gallery accessible to all. Become a member today and enjoy exclusive benefits.
May 8, 2020 — August 1, 2020
Birthday Party — Daniel Freel
An online juried photographic exhibition exploring the COVID-19 pandemic experience. With nearly 350 image entries, juror Philipp Scholz Rittermann selected approximately one third for inclusion in this exhibition.
Themes of Hope, Fear, Isolation, Escape, Home, and Self-examination emerged directly and through metaphor. Entries came from across the US and Europe, representing photographers from student to professional to fine artist.
A portion of online proceeds were donated to Center for Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund.
Rittermann's photographic practice plays at the intersection of the human gaze, the passage of time, and memory. His images reveal hidden layers of the world at large. Subject matter ranges from moody European nocturnes, to overwhelming industrial panoramas in China, to rugged landscapes in the Americas.
Born in 1955, Rittermann was raised in Lima, Peru, moving to Germany in 1969. There he co-founded a photography gallery and taught photography. In 1982 he emigrated to the United States.
His photographs are included in more than 100 public, private, and corporate collections, from The Museum of Modern Art, New York to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. A mid-career survey of Rittermann's work was held at the Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, and a solo exhibition of Emperor's River was presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
He has been teaching photography in the United States and abroad for more than four decades. He lives and works in Southern California.
First, I would like to say that it was an honor to be asked to jury this show. I loved the variety of approaches and reactions to the lockdown. From introspective, quirky, sad, joyous, to poignant, surreal, and heartbreaking, the entries represent a great range of expression.
Most juror statements state how difficult it was to choose the top awardees. My experience was no different, and that's how it should be. I'm glad that Donna structured the showcase in such a way that we are able to include more of the work in a printed catalog, and even more in the online gallery.
Curious about a piece? Click any artwork image to learn more
In the end, images which stayed with me the most speak of the elderly dying in isolation away from their loved ones, health professionals and other essential workers who must work in close proximity to others despite the risks to themselves and their families, and the suddenly ubiquitous zoom birthday, a welcome but woefully inadequate stand-in for the real thing.
Here's to creating community, and continually figuring out how to connect, and help support one another.
— Philipp Scholz Rittermann, May 2020
Donna Cosentino
In a life dedicated to photography since 1971, Donna Cosentino has been a news photographer, museum docent, curator, educator, and leader in the photographic community. After thirty years of teaching photography, Donna retired and opened The Photographer’s Eye in Escondido, a gallery whose mission is to enlighten and educate the community on the history and art of photography through exhibitions and classes.
When the concept of this show first came into my head I was truly looking for a way to engage photographers during this dark time. The pandemic of COVID-19 set many of my photographer friends adrift. All seemed to be looking for a way to express their fears and depression or to work their way out of those feelings through their photography. An online exhibition felt like the right answer. Plus, it helped ME focus on something positive.
Looking at the results has been gratifying. Folks were happy to be given a place to share their feelings against the backdrop of their lives. Themes of Hope, Fear, Isolation, Escape, Home, and Self-examination showed up directly and through metaphor.
Entries came in from across the US and from Europe as well, and I must say the talent that is 'out there' never surprises me. As a gallery director committed to the promotion of the art and craft of photography and to the education of a wider audience, this challenge hit all my marks. Imagination, skill and thoughtful expression were seen throughout the image entries we received. A democratic competition, photographers from student to professional to fine artist, entered their work.
Philipp Scholz Rittermann, our juror, did an exceptional job. Approximately one third of all photographs received are included in our on-line exhibition. And approximately one third of those will appear in our catalog. His task was not easy but he described it as fun...he enjoyed seeing the unique interpretations from all the entrants. I was fortunate to be able to freely select the honorable mentions.
I'd like to thank The Photographer's Eye Collective for their support and encouragement in this endeavor. I would particularly like to thank Brandy Sebastian for the tireless hours she gave to all aspects of mounting this online show...her suggestions throughout the process, working through the web kinks, and finally, for the brilliant design of the show's on-line presentation.
Thanks to all of YOU who felt the need and desire to show us your photographs. I hope it helped to lift you just a little.
Stay healthy.
— Donna Cosentino
