Snapshots: An Exhibition of 1,000 Artists

January 20, 2002, to May 1, 2002 |

Snapshot, an exhibition featuring more than 1,300 artists and laymen from twenty-four countries is a wall to wall, unedited, explosion of photographs that range from the inane to the inspiring. To complete the project, this past fall The Aldrich invited the general public to participate with their own snapshots that will also be on view during the exhibition.

This incredible volume of photographs will be arranged in a grid format in alphabetical order in order to avoid curatorial prejudice. Each entry has been accepted with the only limitations being the deadline and the size of the submissions.

This collection of snapshots brings into question the boundaries we draw between a photograph shown as a work of art and the random snapshots we may all have stored away in photo albums. Rather than attempting to answer sweeping questions, as exhibitions often do, Snapshot aims to raise questions concerning the Museum’s curatorial process and aesthetic aims. Snapshot challenges traditional categories of art and in some ways becomes an experiment in democracy.

Originated by the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, a mix of artists, art professionals, students, critics, and collectors were invited to submit their own personal snapshots for the exhibition. Well-known artists participating include John Baldessari, Isaac Julien, William Kentridge, Kiki Smith, Andres Serrano, and John Waters.