Beginning Saturday, the Museum of Contemporary Art will present two exhibits that present one of the most renowned collections of photography in existence and a significant series of photographs that are part of the museum’s permanent collection.
About one-fourth of the collection of two of the most enthusiastic collectors of contemporary photography will be presented in the feature exhibit, “Shared Vision: The Sondra Gilman and Celso Gonzalez-Falla Collection of Photography.”
MOCA Curator Ben Thompson and Paul Karabinis, assistant professor of photography at the University of North Florida, organized the exhibit over a two-year period.
Thompson said the couple is ranked among the top 10 collectors of photography in the world, having acquired more than 800 images from the early 20th century through the present.
He and Karabinis made several trips to visit the collectors in New York City and select almost 200 images for the exhibit.
“It was a fantastic experience. The collection is held in their home and it’s exhibited salon-style. There were photographs from the floor to the ceiling,” said Thompson.
The exhibition features the work of prominent photographers, including Alfred Steiglitz, Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Mapplethorpe, Ansel Adams and others. Subject matter ranges from landscapes and portraits to manipulated images.
Many of the images have never been exhibited, even in the couple’s home. They were such active collectors that many of their acquisitions were simply purchased and then filed, never having been mounted or framed until they were selected for the exhibit, said Thompson.
He said that a 128-page fully illustrated catalog of the exhibition has been published by MOCA and produced by the Aperture Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting photography and the “definitive publisher of scholarly works” on the subject.
It will be available in the museum store as well as on amazon.com.
As a complement to the feature exhibit, photographs included in MOCA’s permanent collection will be shown. Of particular note, said Thompson, is “The Tulsa Series” by Larry Clark.
The images, taken between 1963 and 1971, document the drug use, violence and sexual activities of the photographer’s circle of friends in his hometown.
It’s one of the rare instances when an exhibit comes with a disclaimer that the exhibit is intended for mature audiences and that “parents accompanying young children are advised to exercise their best judgment when choosing to enter the exhibition.”
In addition to the exhibits, MOCA has developed a series of programs including a screening of the film “Dirty Pictures,” scheduled for Oct. 8.
The documentary details the 1990 attempt to censor the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center’s controversial exhibits of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe.
Following the film, MOCA Director Marcelle Polednik will discuss and answer questions about controversy and the broader issues involved in photography and art, such as who decides what forms of expression are valid.
On Oct. 20, Karabinis is scheduled to lead a gallery tour and offer insights into the photographers and their work represented in the exhibition.
MOCA will host a members-only preview of the new exhibits from 6-8 p.m. Friday, when non-members may join the museum and view the exhibits.
“Shared Vision” and “The Tulsa Series” will be exhibited through Jan. 8. For museum hours and the complete schedule of educational programs, visit www.mocajacksonville.org.
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