Exhibition Martha Casanave: Fictions

The Center for Photographic Art (CPA) located in the historic Sunset Center, is pleased to announce the solo exhibition, Martha Casanave: Fictions, curated by Cydney Payton. 
 
The milestone exhibition Fictions at the Center for Photographic Art offers an in-depth survey of portraiture by Martha Casanave. The images in the exhibition represent deep relationships from throughout Casanave’s fifty years as a distinguished West Coast photographer. The work centers on narratives arrived at between artist and sitter. Included in this retrospective are singular portraits of artworld celebrities and others culled from her book Trajectories, sequential portraits that feature individuals and families Casanave photographed over the course of decades, some up to forty years (including many people you may know from the Monterey Area), ambiguous and mysterious pinhole photographs that reflect Casanave’s more personal narrative constructions, and boldly hand-colored photographs from the USSR/Russia. Few American women artists of Casanave’s generation photographed life in Russia between the years of 1984 to 1995. During that era Casanave, educated in Russian language and literature and often working as a translator, organized trips for Bay Area photographers to meet their Russian counterparts. When we were beginning to organize this show over a year ago, we had no idea that the conflict in the Ukraine would still be happening. The curator decided to print Casanave’s vintage hand-painted images from the Russia series, False Flag, as large mural prints. The impact when you want into the gallery is overwhelming.
 
Don’t miss this retrospective exhibition with legendary photographer, educator, and writer, Martha Casanave. CPA is proud to be showing more than 60 photographs from this artist’s archive. Mark your calendars now for opening night!