2018 Festival ←

Lori Nix, Kathleen Gerber THE EMPIRE, THE CITY 

Bau-Xi Gallery
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Botanic Gardens, 2008. Chromogenic Print, 48 x 65”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Botanic Gardens, 2008. Chromogenic Print, 48 x 65”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Violin Repair Shop, 2011. Chromogenic Print, 48 x 65”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Violin Repair Shop, 2011. Chromogenic Print, 48 x 65”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Museum of Art, Chromogenic Print, 38 x 52”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Museum of Art, Chromogenic Print, 38 x 52”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Circulation Desk, 2012. Chromogenic Print, 48 x 62”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.
Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, Circulation Desk, 2012. Chromogenic Print, 48 x 62”. Courtesy of Bau-Xi Photo.

Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber’s urban scenes represent spaces that celebrate modern culture, knowledge, and innovation: the mall, the museum, the library, and even the vacuum showroom. But the natural world has taken them over in an ironic realization of a paradise lost, leaving the monuments of civilization and material culture abandoned. Evidence of human presence may still be visible, but the cause for their absence is left unclear; the narrative remains open-ended.

As self-described “non-traditional” photographers, Nix and Gerber meticulously construct their subject matter by hand, and capture it entirely in-camera, refraining from the use of digital manipulation. They build painstakingly detailed three-dimensional dioramas, which often measure no more than 20 inches high and can take up to 15 months to complete. Nix uses a large-format film camera to render these miniature scenes larger than life, infusing layers of irony and whimsy into the seemingly grandiose scale of her and Gerber’s urban tableaux.

Curated by Clare Mintzer and Jasmine Lazdins 

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