Alternate Pathways’s opening reception took place yesterday at the Union TX with a turn out of over a hundred people in attendance. Alternate Pathways is an exhibition co-organized and co-curated by Karen Navarro. It is funded in part by the City Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs through Houston Arts Alliance. And, it’s a sponsored project of Fresh Arts, a non-profit arts service organization
Navarro’s series El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos (Belonging in Modern Times) is among the Critical Mass TOP 50 (2019). Critical Mass is an annual online program that makes connections within the photography community. It is ran by Photolucida, a non- profit organization that support and promote the work of emerging and mid-career photographers.
Through a pre-screening process, the field is narrowed to a group of 200 finalists who go on to have their work viewed and voted on by over 200 esteemed international photography professionals. From the finalist group, the Top 50 are named and a series of awards are given. See the series here
Alternate Pathways Opening Reception OCTOBER 19, 2019 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | 2315 Union Street, Houston, Texas 77007.
Alt Projects is pleased to present Alternate Pathways, an artist-centered and driven group exhibition. An event that highlights the diversity of both Houston and the artists involved. The show will feature the works of visual artist Luisa Duarte, mixed media artist Celan Bouillet, fine art photographer Karen Navarro, painter of sculptural shaped canvases Eduardo Portillo, and artist and illustrator Hedwige Jacobs.
Opening reception RSVP here
The show runs until November 22th, by appointment only.
Artists talk and brunch: Sunday October 27th, 1-3 PM at the Union. Free and open to the public.
Read the new interview on CREATE! magazine about Karen’ studio practice. CREATE! magazine is an independent, contemporary art magazine highlighting the work of artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs.
What is your process like?
“Usually, everything starts on the sketchbook, then I pay a visit to the warehouse to buy some painting to paint the backdrop wall. After that I go to the thrift store to get some clothing and some props to prepare for the photo shoot. In my performative photographs I create characters, for this reason I meticulously arrange the elements in the scene. Although, while in the photo shoots I allow myself to get creative and try new things, I don’t stick entirely to the sketchbook.
Since my work is evolving and I am working on new mediums, like collages and soon sculpture, my process changes according to the work I am doing. For example in my last series of collages “El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos” I added laser-cutting, 3-D printing, and embossing.”
Read the full interview here
Navarro’s work is now available through PxP Contemporary. PxP Contemporary is an online platform which connects collectors with high-quality, affordable artworks.
Check Navarro’s collection here
Karen was recently interviewed about her series “El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos” by Haley Berkman Karren on Houston Center for Photography’s SPOT Magazine.
“I think I made this work to break some rules in the photography world and to challenge the medium. This series is a point of experimentation for me as well—an introduction to sculpture, which is something I want to explore in the future. I want to push the boundaries of not only photography, but my art practice as well. I feel like this thinking aligns with the Cubist mentality because Cubism was drastically breaking away from existing modes of thinking.”
Read the full interview here
Karen’s work will be included in Aint–Bad’s No. 14 annual publication. Aint–Bad is an independent publisher of new photographic Art. The Issue No. 14 showcases over 150 leading contemporary photographers from all over the world within 256 pages. This publication will act as a record of the best photographic work being made today.
Now you can buy some of the pieces from the series “El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos” on Artsy through Foto Relevance
Over the past year Navarro has been co-organizing a group exhibition that highlights Houston’s cultural diversity. Alternate Pathways is fiscally sponsored by the non-profit Fresh Arts. And, It was just awarded a Houston Arts Alliance City’s Initiative grant.
More info about the exhibition coming soon.
Four of Navarro’s pieces has been included in the group show 1000+1 at Foto Relevance. When thinking about photography, an old adage often comes to mind: a picture is worth a thousand words. To say this is to recognize photography as an inherently communicative practice, to acknowledge the ways in which an image can convey meaning when language falls short. Engaging in this conversation, 1000+1 is a group show highlighting seven contemporary artists—Kalee Appleton, Joana P. Cardozo, Mark Chen, Paul-André Larocque, Noelle Mason, Karen Navarro, and Krista Svalbonas—who expand our expectations of photography through the use of photo-based techniques in conjunction with alternative media such as sculpture, text, painting, and textiles.
1000+1 will be on view from July 12th to September 6, 2019, with an opening reception on July 12th from 6 to 8 pm.
See photos of the show, here
