Christina Price Washington, known for her photographic abstractions and theoretical investigations, explores alternative interventions in light values, who determines them, and how they are mediated in contemporary printed methods. Her work transcends the mere physicality of a photograph in that she investigates the systems of image-making itself.

This exhibition presents finely printed photographs and photo-based print media that play with the concept of “white balance” within the traditions of photography. Proper camera white balance takes into account the “color temperature” of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light.

In White Balance, Price Washington uses and interrogates specific and commonly accepted ways in which photography has historically evaluated color, lightness, and darkness. Such valuations were aesthetic decisions made in the early 20th century by pioneers of photography such as Ansel Adams, who developed the Zone System and incorporated the concept of “middle grey.” Working in between traditional black and white processes and the contemporary digital frontier, Price Washington creates photographs that document subtle tonal variations that can be found within the plain, bright light of day.

This exhibition is sponsored by Northern Trust Corporation and Wanda Hopkins.

Photo info:
TITLE: CPW1060-4 & VII-3 [inverted]
MATERIAL: Inkjet on paper on wood [Birch cradle]
SIZE: 17” x 22” x 1.5”
DATE: 2019