Curtis Mann
(American, b. 1979; resides in Chicago, IL)
Curtis Mann acquires the original imagery for his Modifications series from a variety of sources: online auctions, photo-sharing websites and estate sales. These are already once or twice removed from their original authorship, form, context, sequence and intention. He specifically looks for records of violence in places like Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, and Kenya. He then makes his own color prints from these images and physically and chemically removes evidence that would allow us to trust the photographic truth of what we see. We are left with small figures floating in a blank, devastated world, going through poetic dances that suggest, but don’t guarantee, a new beginning. They do, however, cause us to question in a complicated way what is in front of us, rather than simply accepting photographic truth. This, of course, is a useful model as we listen to and watch journalists and politicians selectively inform us about conflict in the countries depicted.
Curtis Mann holds an MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago and a BS from the University of Dayton. A 2008 solo show of Mann’s work was exhibited at Kusseneers Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, along with exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago; the Silverstein Gallery, New York; Lisa Boyle Gallery, Los Angeles; and Jen Bekman Gallery, New York. Also in 2008, his work was exhibited at the New York Photo Festival in an exhibition curated by Lesley Martin of Aperture. Mann is currently represented by Kusseneers Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium.
