Thursday, November 6, 2008

jonathan b. french: working, growing, showing and shooting





I have long been an admirer of Jonathan B. French's photographic works, going back to when I first saw him at Honfleur. Now he's being shown over at the new Hamiltonian Gallery and here's what he has to say:

Being an African American I find it of the utmost importance that this story be shared. Africans in the Americas have been marginalized from participation in the economics and mainstream of their countries. Many subsist in conditions of chronic poverty, and institutionalized and individual discrimination. This body of works draws on their heritage giving them visibility and opportunity to enable them to better their conditions.

“Family Pictures” is a photographic series that will bring visibility to the plight of the Afro-Latino populations in Latin America. For too long wide watery oceans and barren information deserts have kept apart Descendants of Africa in the Americas… For too long history has made them invisible and unknown to their extended family in the United States. Though there was no interaction between these African Descendants in the past this project will help establish a relationship.

And Hamiltonian writes, the Hamiltonian Gallery and Hamiltonian Artists proudly present the works of photographers Jonathan B. French, Michael Dax Iacovone, and Anne Chan through DC FotoWeek. Through process and subject matter, each artist uniquely investigates relationships between themselves and their environment via the thread of dislocation and reconnection.

Hamiltonian Gallery
1353 U Street, NW,
Washington DC
202.332.1116 fax: 202.332.0569
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday noon - 6:00 pm and by appointment.
Map: See our location on Google Map (We are located near the intersection of 14th Street and U street NW).
Metro: Hamiltonian Gallery is easily accessible by metro. We are located one block west of the green/yellow line U St/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo metro station, 13th Street exit.