Critical Mass 2020 | Hidden Gems
October 26, 2020
Critical Mass was replete with good work this year. We have many favorites that made it to the top 50, but today we want to share some hidden gems from the semi-finalists. These artists all knocked us off our feet in one way or another. Seeing their work in Critical Mass caused us to dig deeper into their projects.
Rana Young — Rana’s luminous images map the emotional landscape of transitions. With her, we traverse the complex metamorphosis of her ex-partner’s gender identity, and their romantic relationship. It’s an unusual perspective on an important topic.
Image credits: 1. Untitled (silhouette) from The Rug’s Topography, 2016 2. Untitled (socks) from The Rug’s Topography, 2017
Nassima Rothacker — There’s no quick digestible summation of this work, but every image builds upon the last until a gorgeous inner world takes shape.
Arin Yoon — Arin Yoon observes the ever changing lives of military families. Her intimate images explore a state of existence where everything from one’s home to one’s community is in a constant state of flux.
Image credits: 1. Jen Nursing Isaac, Leavenworth, KS, 2014 2. ACUs Out to Dry, Fort Irwin, CA, 2013
Rachel Louise Brown - Rachel Louise Brown’s portrait of Palm Beach, Florida holds a magnifying glass to a strange, escapist version of the American Dream. Of note is her surreal look inside Mar-a-Lago. A servant’s door hides in the fake bucolic landscape. A young girl wandering the rooms is reminiscent of Alice in a real-life rabbit hole.
Image credits: 1. The Dining Room, Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach. 2015 from the series Simulations. 2. The Living Room, Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach. 2015 from the series Simulations
George Nobechi — George Nobechi has us gazing into the watery worlds of Japanese aquariums. His images of these man made landscapes are luminescent, playful, and oddly mesmerizing.
Images credits:1. ‘Sea Lion Pen’ Toba, Japan, 2019. 2. ‘Walrus and Boy’ Otaru, Japan, 2019 From the Series ‘Japanese Aquariums’
- Mia + Lisa