Past: Catapult Student Artist of the Month Exhibit: 'Post-Post Era'

“Post-Post Era,” featuring the work of Southeast Missouri State University student photographer John Stringer, will open the 2020 season of the Student Artist of the Month exhibitions at Southeast Missouri State University’s Catapult Creative House.

The exhibition is currently on display on the second floor of Catapult Creative House and will run through January, with a closing reception to be held from 5 - 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7.

In “Post-Post Era,” Stringer questions the medium in the age of social media and the ever-changing nature of photography. Specifically, he explores the photographic relationship between social media and society’s incessant need to post select and curated images of one’s self, accomplishments and environments as insipid reproductions of a previous social media post.

In his photograph “Takeout,” Stringer uses a sardonic eye, lighting and the spatial void to approach the reproductive nature of digital photography. Ostensibly, without a human connection, the dark ambiance of the image has an overt solemn sentiment. Simultaneously, the image creates a film noir feeling, a theme common in contemporary photography, all of which speaks to the current trend of social media artists copying images and the overt loss of originality that accompanies the imagery.

Each month and as a part of a program to promote community-based and integrated art making, artists are chosen to exhibit their work at Catapult Creative House’s Gallery. These exhibitions showcase a range of work from individual artists that highlights their personal and professional artistic explorations. These artists explore the physicality of the human condition, its relationship to nature, and the role of art in contemporary society. In addition to the exhibition, visitors are welcome to tour the studio spaces, view ongoing projects and engage with the artists.