CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AT WOODSTOCK | COUNTER HISTORIES
Qiana Mestrich
Untitled (The Ideal File Clerk), from The Reinforcements, 2023
From @WorkingWOC: Towards a History of Women of Color in the Workplace (2022–ongoing) Inkjet print
The difficult histories of the world are brought to the forefront of our minds in this stunning new series.
Written by: Max Wiener
Many of us are often subject to getting information from a common source, whether it be the same newspaper or the same social media feeds. At the same time, having us all learn the same facts may feel uniting. History will teach us that certain narratives will be left out, being deemed “not worthy” by mainstream outlets. These forgotten storylines are buried by swill, with meaningful voices having their volume covered up by influencer garbage and corporate jargon.
Tamara Abdul Hadi
Untitled Layout 1, from Re-Imagining Return to the Marshes, 2020–ongoing Inkjet print
At the Center for Photography at Woodstock, Counter Histories highlights these often forgotten narratives throughout histories through the work of five phenomenally talented photographers: Tamara Abdul Hadi, Alan Chin, Naomieh Jovin, Billy H.C. Kwok, and Qiana Mestrich. Through the lenses of these five artists, we see worlds far from our own, hearing voices that fill in the missing puzzle pieces for our scope of worldview. Their stories are troubling but prevalent, and the undoubted truth of their work draws us in and begs us to listen to their every word. According to the gallery, Counter Histories “[asks] probing questions about our construction of the past, such as, what new meanings are suggested by the absences and silences one finds in archives and historical records? How can artists engage with histories that are not photographed? [and] How can these revisionist archives contribute to fuller understandings of the past and future?”These important questions are answered throughout, only adding to the whole series's power. Counter Histories opened on March 23rd and is scheduled to close on May 26th.
Alan Chin
Chinese American Photo Album, 2023 Inkjet print
The images of Counter Histories are unique because they do not use photojournalism to tell gruesome truths but rather personal styles that fit the artist’s vision. Alan Chin’s Chinese American Photo Album is certainly an interesting example, using a collage-like effect in tell the story of his people in a uniquely individual way. It’s not an image that’s unbearable to look at; it reads like a yearbook. Chin’s work gives us a wonderfully robust view of his world, almost as if he is inviting us into his story via a child-like angle. The same can be said about the other artists’ work; their styles coax us into the exhibition's beauty. There is nothing too overbearing or appalling about the images because that would repel us and drive us back into comfort. Instead, we are brought in with masterful photography and wonderfully bright imagery, allowing us to understand more of the world around us. It shows us that the other side of the wind may not be as scary as we make it out to be. Counter Histories shows us that it’s vital to see this other side, for its truth and beauty are too important to ignore.
Naomieh Jovin
Is Manmi in Heaven, 2021
From Gwo Fanm (2017–ongoing) Inkjet print
