SAN FRANCISCO, August 4, 2011 — A new exhibition at San Francisco State University flips the flawed photographic distortion known as “parallax” into a metaphor for images that offer multiple perspectives. In “Picturing Parallax: Photography and Video from the South Asian Diaspora,” artists from the U.S. and beyond use the parallax as a visual strategy to address and represent globally important issues such as social equity, exile, migration, assimilation, gender and memory.
New exhibit ‘Picturing Parallax’ features contemporary works, exposing cultural struggles
The exhibit is on display Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. Admission is free.
Santhi Kavuri-Bauer, associate professor of Art, is the curator of “Picturing Parallax.”
“The typical South Asian art exhibit in the U.S. does not delve this deeply into complex issues,” said Kavuri-Bauer, who grew up in New York City after moving from India at age 2. “This exhibit is not all about success and the American dream on American terms. These are the real stories of the dissonance that takes place in everyday life for South Asians who have made America their home.”
Many of the featured artists in “Picturing Parallax” are exhibited rarely on the West Coast. Featured artists include: Jaishri Abichandani, Pradeep Dalal, Gauri Gill, Gautam Kansara, Baseera Khan and Ranu Mukherjee.
Abichandani’s “Bijli: Heart of a Drag Queen” is an intimate video of a Pakistani-American who leaves her cultural identity at home when singing at Manhattan nightclubs, but suppresses her drag-queen identity in her Pakistani neighborhood in Brooklyn. Seven candid photographs from Gill’s series “The Americans” depict the daily lives of South Asian immigrants who don’t fit into the stereotypical success story. Instead, most of these subjects represent the housewives, franchise owners and blue-collar workers, inviting viewers to discover hidden dimensions of the American dream.
An opening celebration for “Picturing Parallax” will take place Sept. 15 from 2 to 6 p.m. in SF State’s Knuth Hall. It begins with a panel discussion featuring Kavuri-Bauer, Ethnic Studies Assistant Professor Falu Bakrania and Women and Gender Studies Assistant Professor Kasturi Ray. Poet Shailja Patel will give a reading at 4 p.m. VidyA performs its blend of jazz and South Indian classical (Carnatic) music at 4:30 p.m. Dholrhythms Dance Co. will lead an interactive bhangra performance from 4 to 6 p.m., complete with music, dancing and lessons.
The Fine Arts Gallery will publish a full-color catalog for “Picturing Parallax.”
“Picturing Parallax” supporters include E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation and SF State’s International Center for the Arts, Office of International Programs, Retirement Association and Instructionally Related Activities Fund.
“Picturing Parallax” accompanies two partner South Asian exhibits opening soon in San Francisco: “Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts” at the Asian Art Museum and “The Matter Within: New Contemporary Art of India” at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Hours, Location and Parking
The Fine Arts Gallery is open Wednesdays–Saturdays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. The gallery is located in the Fine Arts Building on the SF State campus, 1600 Holloway Ave. (at 19th Ave.), San Francisco. Public parking is available in Lot 20, accessed from Lake Merced Boulevard between Winston Drive and Font Boulevard. On weekends and evenings only, public parking is available in Lots 1 and 2, on Holloway Ave. (at 19th Ave.). Parking is $3 per hour with a $6 daily maximum. Nearby street parking is readily available on weekends. For details, visit www.sfsu.edu/~parking.
Calendar Editors, Please Note:
Picturing Parallax: Photography and Video from the South Asian Diaspora
Thursday, Sept. 15 – Saturday, Oct. 15
Fine Arts Gallery, Fine Arts Building, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave. (at 19th Ave.), San Francisco, CA 94132
Admission: Free
Gallery hours: Wednesdays – Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Opening celebration: Thursday, Sept. 15, 2 – 6 p.m.
Information: 415/338-6535, http://creativearts.sfsu.edu/node/3101
This new exhibition flips the flawed photographic distortion known as “parallax” into a metaphor for images that offer multiple perspectives. South Asian artists from the U.S. and beyond—many whose work is rarely exhibited on the West Coast—use the parallax to address and represent globally important issues such as social equity, exile, migration, assimilation, gender and memory.
Featured artists include: Jaishri Abichandani, Pradeep Dalal, Gauri Gill, Gautam Kansara, Baseera Khan and Ranu Mukherjee. Curated by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer.
The opening celebration will feature a panel discussion with faculty from SF State’s South Asian Studies Institute, poetry reading by Shailja Patel, jazz/classical Indian music performance by VidyA and an interactive bhangra performance by Dholrhythms Dance Co. These events will be held in Knuth Hall.
Exhibition supporters include the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation and SF State’s International Center for the Arts, Office of International Programs, Retirement Association and Instructionally Related Activities Fund.
Contact: Matt Itelson, (415) 338-1442, matti@sfsu.edu, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132