Brecht Vanderbrook. 2013. ‘White Cube’

For the exhibition element of this module, I will be displaying my work in a gallery space located in One River School of Art + Design in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The space is a somewhat traditional gallery, adhering to O’Doherty’s description of the ‘white cube’ - “Unshadowed, white, clean, artificial- the space is devoted to the technology of esthetics.” (O’Dohery, 1999. P.15). 

However, it does have the distinction of being part of a school building, acting not just as a gallery, but also as a waiting area for students. I am fortunate that my work will not need to fight for attention in a cluttered environment, but am aware that it may still struggle to grab the interest of those who have not entered the space solely for the purpose of viewing my work. I will also be exhibiting alongside other artists, two painters will also be showing in the space at this time. As their work is larger, I have concerns that my photographs may be overshadowed. Hopefully I will be able to discuss a floor plan with them that suits all of our needs. 

I have chosen to display my work in a conventional fashion with framed, mounted photographs. I had considered alternative methods of display, but I do not think that would suit this environment, nor the audience I am likely to receive there. In this week’s presentation, Gary noted that we do not want to alienate our audience or create a situation where a large proportion of our viewers don’t ‘get’ our message. I have decided to ‘play it safe’ with my mode of display here, in the hope that the photographs alone will be strong enough to interest viewers. However, I would like to use the publication form of this work to be more experimental, and aim to take a less conventional approach with that activity.  

I am looking forward to this exhibition opportunity, and feel that I will benefit from showing my work in an educational environment. I teach photography and art classes at this location, and therefore know that there is a open dialogue about art taking place between the faculty, students and gallery visitors. I appreciate other’s opinions of my work, and hope that showing here will lead to useful discussions about my work.  

O’Doherty, B. 1999. Inside the white cube: the ideology of the gallery space. Berkeley: University of California Press