SPACE BETWEEN PUTS THE FOCUS ON PHOTOS

by Ray Manzari

Photos provided by Space Between

Since August 14, The Colorado Photographic Arts Center, located at 1070 Bannock Street, has been operating The Space Between, an exhibit which highlights two separate bodies of work. One is by Kris Sanford, who uses photographs to explore an imagined queer history, and the other is a collaboration of poetry and images that reveal Petal, a persona whom Philip Matthews manifests to tell a story along with David Johnson’s photographs.

Founded in 1963, The Colorado Photographic Arts Center is the only nonprofit organization in Denver dedicated exclusively to the art of photography. Each year, CPAC presents up to 10 photography exhibitions, offers more than 50 classes and workshops, and hosts dozens of events to raise awareness of excellent photography and the artists

who create it. CPAC’s gallery is free to the public and conveniently located within Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District. “What we do at the Center when we put together these art exhibitions is try to get two or more artists in the same show, in order to have a larger conversation. So, that’s kind of where this title, ‘The Space Between,’ came from. Thinking about both their projects but also creating this space to talk about identity and relationships and sexuality.” Samantha Johnston, CPAC's executive director and curator, tells OUT FRONT. She continues, “Each year, we take a look at our exhibition calendar and try to make sure we’re showing a broad spectrum of work. We try to make sure our artists aren’t just coming from one community or one demographic. We’re always looking to find ways of bringing different voices together surrounding the same topic. We’re

constantly thinking and wanting those voices to be heard and to have a place to be heard.” This August, CPAC features the voices of queer artists Sanford, Matthews, and Johnson. Growing up queer, Sanford searched for a history that spoke to her identity and included her. Photography gave her the space to imagine such history. Sanford’s work from her series Through the Lens of Desire offers a new lens to view vintage photographs of men pictured together and women together from the 1930s through 50s. “The time period that I use, mostly from the 1930s to the 50s, is where a lot of my source material comes from. I think there’s something very unselfconscious about the way people interacted in front of the camera back then, that’s just different now. I think that’s part of the reason why I gravitate toward those pictures, and that unselfconsciousness is part of what I’m looking for,” Sanford says. By subtly implying another narrative for the relationships pictured, real or imagined, Sanford is able to reflect on her own desires and experiences. Intimate moments of gestures, touches, and proximity are all identified and focused on through Sanford’s intentional, circular crop, inviting the viewer to wonder through the possibility of a different story. Matthews and Johnson have collaborated since 2014, and their first shoot together was in 2015. During this time, Johnson began noticing the word petal appearing more often in his poems. As time went on, Petal manifested into a character or persona. And, with the help of friends from within the worlds of photography and drag, Petal had her first, official shoot. In Wig Heavier Than a Boot, there is a dynamic relationship between author, character, and observer. Originally, photographer Johnson was inspired by Matthews and the persona of Petal being used to write a different kind of poem. However, as the project went on, Johnson began writing about the ‘observer,’ meaning Johnson, and power within the three’s dynamic. The title refers to Petal’s donning of both a wig and cowboy boots. One being a femme object, the other being more masculine, Johnson felt the femme object had more emotional weight to it. “We’re trying to convey to the viewer that these objects take on more than just being objects of dress and become objects that play certain gender roles. Looking at Petal and Philip, they’re really two different personalities occupying the same form. There were two different types of gestures at play, and there seemed like this moment where the two of them were the most divergent in personality in front of the camera. But, as the project came to its conclusion, it was clear to me that Petal was of Philip and Philip of Petal.” Both Through the Lens of Desire and Wig Heavier Than a Boot can be viewed for free by the public at The Colorado Photographic Arts Center through September 23.