2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008 / 2007 / 2006 / 2005
MARTHA CAMARILLO / FLETCHER STREET / November 17, 2006 – December 22, 2006 /
MARTHA CAMARILLO
Fletcher Street
November 17 – December 22, 2006
Opening reception: Friday, November 17, 2006, 6-8pm
The Jack Shainman Gallery is proud to present Fletcher Street, an exhibition of photographs by the artist Martha Camarillo.
The works in Fletcher Street document life in a horse-racing neighborhood that is located in the heart of Philadelphia. Dating back to the early 1900’s, Fletcher Street has had horse stables where thoroughbreds were raised. Now an African-American community maintains the stables, having built a whole way of life around this activity. Many of the stables in or around Fletcher Street were built on small plots of inner-city land, in former factories and warehouse spaces and sometimes in abandoned townhouses.
Martha Camarillo’s photographs capture this underground, urban phenomenon portraying the men and boys of Fletcher Street, their special bond with their horses, and the way through which this unique tradition has provided a sense of belonging to an entire community.
“Camarillo’s work is valuable not only because it illuminates a fascinating new aspect of culture, but also because it challenges those who see it. Her photographs force viewers to confront their own pre-conceptions of sport as representative of social status, and race as a demarcation of class. The power of Camarillo’s exploration of this underrepresented community is based on the strength of the men themselves: urban horsemen who have ridden away from the ‘hood and toward a better future.” – Kathy Dobie
Martha Camarillo is an internationally known photographer whose portraits often expose hidden aspects of urban culture. Her work also focuses on the subject of identity through portraiture. Her previous project, Remote Photos, a collaboration with artist Avena Gallagher, was an in-depth look at the identity of teenage male and female models, made by giving the models themselves disposable cameras to be used however they saw fit.
Originally born in Texas and currently living and working in New York, Camarillo’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Telegraph, Numéro, Journal, i-D, and many other publications. Work from her Remote Photos project resulted in a book published by Janvier. Camarillo was the winner of the Hyères Festival 2001 and the 2002 Art Director’s Award.
Coinciding with the exhibition Powerhouse is publishing “Fletcher Street”, featuring the full series of photographs by Camarillo.
Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. For additional information and photographic material please contact the gallery at info@jackshainman.com.