honorable mention
Mason Hershenow united states
title
Disposal
Because of this reality and the sometimes limited walking range that comes with it, I have developed a particular in public seating and its availability—or often lack thereof—in my environment. This series considers how abandoned furniture often highlights the lack of permanent seating in urban environments, as well as the disposable nature of such furniture in a culture which is built upon and around the assumption of able bodies as the norm.
Hershenow is a northern California native. He earned his Bachelor of Art in photography from Sacramento State University in 2014, and will graduate in August 2020 with a Master of Fine Art in photography from San José State University, where he has also taught a number of introductory photography courses. He is currently represented by Sylvan Gallery in Sand City, CA.
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entry description
Between the ages of eight- and eleven-years-old, I underwent a series of four reconstructive surgeries to correct serious birth defects in my feet. The operations were at the time relatively experimental; while they have indeed allowed me relatively normal mobility in adulthood, they also left me with chronic pain, PTSD, and considerable uncertainty about how long the joints and tendons in my ankles and feet will hold out.Because of this reality and the sometimes limited walking range that comes with it, I have developed a particular in public seating and its availability—or often lack thereof—in my environment. This series considers how abandoned furniture often highlights the lack of permanent seating in urban environments, as well as the disposable nature of such furniture in a culture which is built upon and around the assumption of able bodies as the norm.
about the photographer
Influenced by the systems we build and use to interact with ourselves, each other, and the world around us, Mason Hershenow's work focuses on the relationship — and distance — between contemporary photography, the academic art world, and popular culture. Originally trained as a straight photographer, Hershenow’s practice frequently blends candid, often personal images with elements of modernist design, traditional and contemporary typesetting, and the use and misuse of academic language in order to challenge the viewer’s notions of who and what establishes expertise and validity in a gallery. Far from an anti-academic, Hershenow’s goal is to use institutional critique as a means of illuminating the most needlessly exclusive practices in academia and other influential institutions — while productively undermining its gatekeepers in the process.Hershenow is a northern California native. He earned his Bachelor of Art in photography from Sacramento State University in 2014, and will graduate in August 2020 with a Master of Fine Art in photography from San José State University, where he has also taught a number of introductory photography courses. He is currently represented by Sylvan Gallery in Sand City, CA.
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