Stiff Lace: A Photographic Celebration

On the eve of Saturday, January 24th I had the pleasure of attending the opening of Stiff Lace: A Photographic Celebration. The exhibit featured the work of three Richmond artists: Kevin Faison, Janissa Hamilton, and Christina Jeffers. The show took place at Rumors Boutique, a hip Richmond clothing store. Clothes were cleared off racks and tables to make way for the artwork. Each of the artists had a designated portion of the store where their work was displayed. Both Kevin and Janissa had a multitude of photos displayed in the lower level of the store while Christina's work consisted of an installation on the small upper level balcony of a few large photos mounted among stacks of boxes. Having the work displayed on the upper level made it seem a bit unaccessable. It was hard to view the photos from the ground but the space between the work and the balcony didn't seem like it was enough to stand back and view the images properly, thus I did not end up spending much time with the work.


The work of both Kevin and Janissa was very well integrated into the fabric of the store, and had I not been told I would have assumed it was all from the same artist. Framed photographs were hung alongside the stores permanent mirrors. Unframed prints were displayed on table tops with a few of the stores quirky accessories, such as glittered pine cones and toy grenades. The most thoughtful method of display came from Mr. Faison: photographs displayed on pant hangers, often two prints of the same picture back-to-back, allowing the work to take on a more sculptural feel. For the most part I felt like Kevin and Janissa's photographs were well chosen and well grouped (although every now and then I would come across one that seemed out of place), and I was very impressed by the quality of work. My only complaint would be the scope of the show. Two very similar artists in one space, both showing a great many pictures in a similar way was a little overwhelming. Individual pictures were not able to be given the time and attention they deserved. I think this has taught me a valuable lesson for displaying my own work, a little editing goes a long way!