Self Portrait

Juror: Caleb Cole
Gallery Exhibition: May 21 - June 15, 2013

Juror's Statement
As someone whose artistic work often involves photographing himself, I understand that self-portraits can take many forms. And yet when I first saw the images submitted to this call, I was surprised by the variety of methods and perspectives that moved far beyond simply placing oneself inside the frame. The body as material, the self as character, both in one's own life and in constructed worlds, negating or obliterating the self, transformation, mortality, familial relationships and roles, self-portraits in art history, and the self in private and public were only a fraction of the covered themes. Though I sought to represent that variety in my final selections, ultimately the pieces I chose were the ones that best married technical competency or innovation with content that stuck with me long after I'd turned off my computer. Thank you to all who submitted and who reminded me of the myriad possibilities for self-representation and expression.

- Caleb Cole

About the Juror
Born in Indianapolis, Caleb Cole is a former altar server, scout, and 4-H Grand Champion in Gift Wrapping. His mother instilled in him a love of garage sales and thrift stores, where he developed a fascination with the junk that people leave behind. Cole is a 2015 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow, 2013 Hearst 8x10 Biennial Winner, 3-time Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Winner, 2011 St. Botolph Club Foundation Emerging Artist Award winner, 2011 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship Finalist, 2009 Artadia Award winner, and a 2009 Photolucida Critical Mass finalist. He exhibits regularly at a variety of national venues and has held solo shows in Boston, New York, Chicago, and St. Louis, among others. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Newport Art Museum, Brown University Art Museum and Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. He is represented by Gallery Kayafas, Boston.

Call for Entries
Photography can be a tool for self-exploration, with questions of identity and emotion expressed in ways that range from poignant to humorous.  For the exhibition Self Portrait, we sought self portraits that probe beneath the surface of mere appearances.