From the start of lens based media,
there has always been the expectation of truth.
This media can influence subjectivity or otherwise reflect viewers. Images are often used as a point of reference beyond a singular context. As the concept of truth becomes less reliable, it has become the responsibility of artists to create their own.
This exhibition, co-curated by NOVA24 Co-Founders Mara Magyarosi-Laytner and Raymar in partnership with The Congregation Curator
Dr. Chanel Beebe, investigated contemporary, lens based work that transcends typical expectations of photographic fact. Whether in camera, digitally compiled, or physically composed, The Prelude: Constructing Truth challenges the traditional notions of reality and places our photographic identifications firmly in the future.
Exhibition Dates
September 10-29, 2024
The Congregation Detroit
9321 Rosa Parks Blvd
Detroit, MI 48206
Opening Reception
Thursday, September 12th
6-8pm
Artist Talk
Tuesday, September 17th
6-8pm
Closing Reception
Sunday, September 29th
2-5pm
Featured Artists
Cazmuk
Cazmuck is the art child of Metro Detroit artist, Nicholas "Caz" Johnson. It is the overarching label used for his various forms of creative expression; encompassing (but not limited to) photography, music, and creative writing.
“Manipulated” is an artistic experiment exploring the process of physical manipulation. Altering my images adds an elevated level of creative freedom to the analog process.
Images appeared in my head and I made them. It wasn’t until I reached retrospection that I realized I had subconsciously made a series on relationships and identity. Processes of sewing, cutting, shredding, weaving, and burning held nearly as much meaning as the end results they created.
Jasmine Graham
As an artist, I am influenced by African diaspora, colors, nature, and natural light. Born and raised in Detroit, I am a Broadcast Journalist by trade and an artist by heart. I blend the two together to express impactful narratives through photography, writing, painting, and mixed media. I have a unique ability to convey emotion through art in a way that is universal.
My goal as an artist is to share the beautiful complexity of the underrepresented through my work and go down in history as a well-rounded influential artist who told the story of the times, evoked change, and conversation while inspiring others to do the same.
Jaclyn Iskow
Jaclyn Iskow is a photographic and performance artist, curator, and creative director operating in Detroit, Michigan. Her work references themes of self image, family, space and time through elements of fashion and art history. Jaclyn graduated from the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in 2024 with a BFA in Photography and is a recipient of the Imre J. Molnar Artistic Achievement Award (2024) and the Alumni Scholarship (2023). Additionally, she was awarded 3rd place at the Annual Scarab Club 53rd Exhibition of Contemporary Photography (2024) in Detroit. During her last year at the College for Creative Studies, Jaclyn completed her thesis, Iczkowicz: The Modern Philosophy of Woman which is a modular series of self portraits exploring how religion, technology, science and fashion affect the development of her identity as a young woman and artist.
Nik Liguori
Nik Liguori is an interdisciplinary artist and writer based in Detroit, Michigan. His work has appeared in the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Media City Film Festival, Winnipeg Underground Film Festival, Laterale Film Festival, the San Francisco Cinematheque, Xinema, The Scarab Club, and the Detroit Artists Market, among others. He is a frequent contributor to the Horizon Magazine.
In my work, I strive to reconsider the archive as a deeply resourceful space for creativity and play, freely reimagining fragments of social histories, personal mythologies, and cultural reference in service of auto-fictional narratives steeped in melodrama and fantasy. I work across multiple mediums, including video art and film, collage, cut-up poetry, prose, zines and book art, and assemblage.
Nefours
Nefours is an artist who has experience lighting, shooting, directing, and designing the set of various films. He is also a specialist in creative direction and cinematography. He takes inspiration from the darker more melancholy elements of film and media. His creative fire is fueled by things like “The Witcher Wild Hunt '' and “ WarHammer 40K,'' along with other video games, music artists, animated shorts, and other forms of media. His films have been awarded in the Southeastern Michigan & Thumb Regional Scholastic Art Awards, SkillsUSA Michigan State Competition, and featured in the 2024 season of NOVA24 | Photo + Film Festival.
Scott Northrup
Scott Northrup (USA) is an artist, filmmaker, writer, curator, and educator whose work across media explores questions of love, lust, loss, and desire, especially the unspoken, the unsure, and ephemeral. He received a BFA in Studio Art from the Center for Creative Studies (1992) and an MA in Media Studies from The New School (2003). He has completed 50+ moving image artworks since 1989, which have been exhibited at festivals, museums, and galleries, including The Museum of Modern Art, Art Basel Miami, White Columns, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Detroit Design Festival, Mothlight Microcinema, Detroit Artists Market, and Media City Film Festival. He has undertaken residencies at The Museum of Loss and Renewal, Arteles Creative Center, and AICAD/New York Studio Residency Program. His own writing, and writing about his practice, has appeared in Hyperallergic, Krass Journal, DittoDitto, Essay’d, New Art Examiner, Detroit Art Review, and elsewhere. He is Professor and Chair of the Film, Photography, and Interdisciplinary Art + Design programs at College for Creative Studies in Detroit. He lives and works in Dearborn, Detroit, and Hamtramck, Michigan.
Trinity Sutherland
Trinity Sutherland, based in Detroit, Michigan, is an emerging filmmaker pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the College for Creative Studies. Her work has increasingly centered on experimental editing techniques and innovative storytelling. Her editing style utilizes rapid intercutting, footage manipulation, and abstracting imagery. Though her main focus lies in video editing, she’s accumulated skills in motion graphics, graphic design, VFX, sound design, composing, and virtual production.
Rachel Elise Thomas
I consider myself an interdisciplinary artist, designer, and researcher, working in the realm of lens-adjacent approaches. In my practice, I am deeply committed to pushing the boundaries of photography in terms of its creation, presentation, and discourse–using collage, printmaking, mixed media, objects, and site-specific installation to delve into the intricate nuances of my personal identity and familial relationships–fueling my deep engagement with the subject matter and materials I research by discovering the connections and insights that go unnoticed.
Using research as a tool to further my practice, this is an opportunity to investigate, examine, and question the past/history of being a Black American in this country. By comparing the past to the present, and revealing that despite superficial changes, many of the underlying issues persist–such as white supremacy, prejudices, consumerism, and beauty standards are simply repackaged and rebranded for a new era.
Outdoor Exhibition Printing & Installation