Tia x Chatter is proud to present Illumination: A Collective Vision of Contemporary Photography, an exhibition featuring works from ten internationally renowned artists. Spanning generations, styles, and cultural backgrounds, this group of artists challenges the conventions of photography, while exploring the social, political, and personal landscapes of the contemporary world. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of perspectives, from John Baldessari’s conceptual pairing of photographic images with painted ones to William Eggleston’s groundbreaking color photography, while Martine Gutierrez explores identity and media, and both James Luna and Cara Romero critique the commodification of Native American culture. In addition, Ai Weiwei confronts global issues of human rights and oppression, John Chiara emphasizes texture, and Ola Kolehmainen’s architectural photos capture light and space. Erwin Olaf addresses race and sexuality through stylized compositions and Sylvie Fleury tackles consumer culture. Illumination invites dialogue on identity, power, and the human condition, challenging viewers to rethink the possibilities of the medium of photography.
Join us Thursday, December 19 from 5 to 7 pm for the closing reception of this show with guest speakers Eliza Naranjo Morse and Cara Romero.
John Baldessari (1931-2020) was an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images. Initially a painter, Baldessari began to consider art in a radical, conceptual framework as his practice developed. He started to incorporate texts and photography into his canvases in the mid-1960s and later, he began working in printmaking, film, video, installation, sculpture, and photography. He lived and worked in Santa Monica and Venice, CA.
John Chiara (b. 1971, San Francisco, CA) redefines photography through a physically intensive process, using giant cameras he designs and builds. Transported on flatbed trailers, his cameras allow him to shoot and process images directly onto large photosensitive paper, producing unique prints. Embracing imperfections, Chiara’s soft-hued images evoke the fleeting nature of time and materiality, blending early photographic techniques with contemporary vision.
William Eggleston (b. 1939, Memphis, TN) is an American photographer, who elevated color photography to fine art. His vivid, meticulously composed images of everyday Southern life, transformed perceptions of photography, particularly after his 1976 exhibition at MoMA. Known for capturing mundane scenes like gas stations and suburban streets, Eggleston’s work offers a poignant perspective on Americana and has influenced generations of photographers.
Sylvie Fleury (b. 1961, Geneva, Switzerland) is a Swiss artist known for exploring consumerism, fashion, and gender politics. Using diverse media like installation, sculpture, and neon signs, she critiques luxury culture with playful irony. Influenced by Pop Art, Fleury blends high fashion and commercial aesthetics, while addressing feminist themes and challenging femininity.
Martine Gutierrez (b. 1989, Berkeley, CA) explores race, gender, class, and identity through media such as film, billboards, and her publication, Indigenous Woman. A first-generation Indigenous artist, she critiques binaries and celebrates fluid identity. Her work has been shown globally, including at the Venice Biennale, Italy and the Whitney Museum in New York.
Ola Kolehmainen (b. 1964, Helsinki, Finland) is a contemporary artist known for his large-scale color photographs which focus on an exploration of space and light and the clarity of detail from the surrounding architecture. His approach to each space is complex and highlights the details of materials and forms and makes the viewer question the way the building is perceived, recently capturing the atmosphere of sacred spaces throughout the world.
James Luna (1950–2018) was a performance artist of Ipai (Diegueño/Kumeyaay), Payómkawichum (Luiseño), and Mexican heritage. Living on the La Jolla Reservation since 1975, he used humor to challenge stereotypes and critique the commodification of Native American culture. Notable works like Shame-Man and Take a Picture with a Real Indian brought society’s exploitation of Native identity to the forefront of conversation within the art world and beyond.
Erwin Olaf (1959 – 2023) was an internationally acclaimed Dutch photographer known for exploring themes of race, sexuality, and marginalized communities. His bold work earned him a knighthood in 2019, and the acquisition of 500 of his works by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Olaf collaborated with Vogue, Louis Vuitton, and the Dutch royal family and exhibited worldwide, with notable shows at the Kunstmuseum The Hague, the Shanghai Center of Photography, and Kunsthalle München.
Cara Romero (b. 1977, Inglewood, CA) is an enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe. She was raised between contrasting settings: the rural Chemehuevi reservation in Mojave Desert, CA and the urban sprawl of Houston, TX. Romero’s identity informs her photography and is shaped by years of study and a visceral approach to representing Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural memory, collective history, and lived experiences from a female Native American perspective.
Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, Beijing, China) is a renowned artist and activist whose work merges traditional Chinese culture with modern political issues. Influenced by his father’s exile, Weiwei’s art critiques government censorship and global power imbalances. His activism led to his 2011 imprisonment by Chinese authorities for 81 days, without formal charges, reinforcing his status as a global dissident.