Wherever There is Light

According to Nicole Fleetwood, author of “Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, “prison photography is one of the largest practices of vernacular photography in the contemporary United States.” Though prison photographs are widely circulated, little is known of the photographers behind the camera: a position in the carceral system also held by inmates. Artist Larry Cook seeks to bring the important work and identity of these prison photographers into view by using installation as a tool for agency. In Wherever There is Light, Larry Cook builds a studio and exhibition space for five formerly incarcerated photographers to share their stories and craft through traditional studio portraiture. While each collaborator has a unique inception with the arts they all share the common experience of holding the job of photographer during their respective time inside. Cook’s installation serves as much as a resource for the photographers as a tool for them to re-identify as artists and expand their practice beyond the carceral state. The gallery becomes a space to elevate voices which have remained unheard and solidify these artists as vital contributors to the long-standing history of photography.

Show Program

Over the course Wherever There is Light, the five collaborating photographers will shoot, edit, print, and exhibit a framed self-portrait in Canary. The complete series will be exhibited in June 2021 with an opening reception at the gallery space.