honorable mention
Kerry Mansfield united states
title
Expired
The Japanese term “wabi-sabi” is described as the art of finding beauty in imperfection and of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay and death. Unlike the American culture focused on spectacle, wabi-sabi is underplayed and modest, the kind of undeclared beauty waiting patiently to be discovered. It’s found in time-worn faces of expired library books that have traveled through many hands, and across county lines until they have reached their final resting place at ex-library warehouses where safe harbors are found in Costco-sized rows of “discards” rising within inches of the ceiling.
Each picture serves as an homage calling out palpable echoes etched into the pages by a margin-scrawled note or a yellowed coffee splatter. They show the evidence of everyone that has touched them, because they were well read and well loved. Now they have a new life, as portraits of a unique shared experience found only in a library book. We must take time to celebrate the swiftly disappearing, unique communal experience offered by library books as it’s quickly replaced by downloads and finger swipes. If you listen carefully you can hear the aching poetry calling from tattered pages that carry the burden of their years with dignity and grace.
Her work has been exhibited globally and garnered numerous honors including LensCulture’s Single Image Award, multiple World Photography Organization and IPA Awards, and as a Critical Mass Finalist for three straight years. A host of press and publications, ranging from the PDN Photo Annual to the New York Times LensBlog, have featured several of her bodies of work, including the recent Expired series.
Kerry’s Expired series monograph was just released in fall 2017 and will be accompanied by solo shows and book signings in several major U.S. Cities. Her new series, entitled Threshold, was completed in late spring 2017 and has already been shown in several exhibitions.
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entry description
The first rite of passage upon learning how to write one’s name was to inscribe it on a library check-out card promising the book’s safe journey and return. I remember reading the list of names that had come before me and feeling that I was a part of this book’s history and it’s shared, communal experience exposed by curly-Q handwritten names revealing repeat customers devouring the book beyond it’s deadline. An act of declaration that’s dissolving faster than we can see as cards are removed permanently and bar codes take their place.The Japanese term “wabi-sabi” is described as the art of finding beauty in imperfection and of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay and death. Unlike the American culture focused on spectacle, wabi-sabi is underplayed and modest, the kind of undeclared beauty waiting patiently to be discovered. It’s found in time-worn faces of expired library books that have traveled through many hands, and across county lines until they have reached their final resting place at ex-library warehouses where safe harbors are found in Costco-sized rows of “discards” rising within inches of the ceiling.
Each picture serves as an homage calling out palpable echoes etched into the pages by a margin-scrawled note or a yellowed coffee splatter. They show the evidence of everyone that has touched them, because they were well read and well loved. Now they have a new life, as portraits of a unique shared experience found only in a library book. We must take time to celebrate the swiftly disappearing, unique communal experience offered by library books as it’s quickly replaced by downloads and finger swipes. If you listen carefully you can hear the aching poetry calling from tattered pages that carry the burden of their years with dignity and grace.
about the photographer
Kerry Mansfield is a San Francisco based photographer whose work explores time and how it affects our perceptions of what we see. Born in New Jersey in 1974, Kerry graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Photography from UC Berkeley and did further studies at CCA (California College of the Arts) to refine her sense of space and architecture.Her work has been exhibited globally and garnered numerous honors including LensCulture’s Single Image Award, multiple World Photography Organization and IPA Awards, and as a Critical Mass Finalist for three straight years. A host of press and publications, ranging from the PDN Photo Annual to the New York Times LensBlog, have featured several of her bodies of work, including the recent Expired series.
Kerry’s Expired series monograph was just released in fall 2017 and will be accompanied by solo shows and book signings in several major U.S. Cities. Her new series, entitled Threshold, was completed in late spring 2017 and has already been shown in several exhibitions.
back to gallery