Sirkka Liisa Konttinen, Emma Dowds (Step by Step series), 1982. Gelatin silver print, printed by the artist 2016.
Photography can be a powerful tool in the right hands. It can document history as it happens, and before we fully understand it; it can show us aspects of ourselves and others that we were previously oblivious to; and it can reveal details of the world around us that aren’t apparent to the naked eye. Minnesota-based photographer Alec Soth has made a career out of revealing these truths, chronicling American lives and realities with unflinching honesty. For a new exhibition at the upcoming AIPAD 2019 Photography Show, Soth turns his curatorial eye to another universal truth: the comforts of home. A Room for Solace brings together over 40 images from across the history of photography. The images of interiors vary widely, but all have a quiet, intimacy in common, a theme that Soth has recently turned to in his own work. In the face of a tumultuous world, Soth chooses to, “take a break from the fractious public square of photography and wander quietly into people’s homes. Behind these doors I hope to find a sliver of solace in these unstable times.” These images pay tribute to the soothing power of life’s simple joys: the sanctuary we find in our homes and intimate relationships.
