Keisha Scarville's "lick of tongue rub of finger on soft wound" is a visually dense and emotionally resonant book exploring themes of loss, memory, and the complexities of identity. The book features a mix of photographs and collages, creating a layered and immersive experience for the viewer. Scarville masterfully uses archival imagery, including her mother's clothing and family photographs, to explore the passage of time and the enduring power of memory. The book's design, with its minimal white space and abundance of images, reflects the density of Scarville's emotional landscape. The work challenges traditional notions of photographic projects, instead presenting a holistic view of the artist's creative process.
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha closes out the year with photographer Keisha Scarville. Keisha and Sasha talk about her book, lick of tongue rub of finger on soft wound (MACK), and Keisha's personal and unique use of archival imagery. Keisha and Sasha also discuss the ways in which Keisha has moved away from thinking of projects as discreet bodies of work, choosing instead, a much more holistic approach.
https://keishascarville.com/home.html |||
https://www.mackbooks.us/products/lick-of-tongue-rub-of-finger-on-soft-wound-br-keisha-scarville
Keisha Scarville (b. Brooklyn, NY; lives Brooklyn, NY) weaves together themes dealing with loss, latencies and the elusive body. Her work has been widely exhibited, including the Studio Museum of Harlem, Huxley-Parlour in London, ICA Philadelphia, Contact Gallery in Toronto, The Caribbean Cultural Center, Lightwork, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, and Higher Pictures. Recent group exhibitions include The Rose at the lumber room, Portland, Oregon (curated by Justine Kurland); If I Had a Hammer - Fotofest Biennial, Houston (2022); and All of Them Witches, Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles (2020, curated by Dan Nadel and Laurie Simmons). Her work is held in the collections of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Yale University Art Gallery, the George Eastman House, Denver Museum of Art, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. She has participated in residencies at Lightwork, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, WOPHA, Baxter Street CCNY, and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. In addition, her work has appeared in publications including Vice, Small Axe, and The New York Times where her work has also received critical review. She is a recipient of the 2023 Creator Lab Photo Fund and awarded the inaugural Saltzman Prize in Photography earlier this year. She is currently a Visiting Professor in the Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University and a faculty member at Parsons School of Design in New York. Her first book, lick of tongue rub of finger on soft wound, was published by MACK and shortlisted in the 2023 Aperture/Paris Photobook Awards.
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PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf