Presented during Solid Sound Festival weekend, Sohn Fine Art gallery is pleased to host a meet the artist event with Patrick Sansone. Widely recognized as a band member of Wilco, Sansone’s photographic practice offers a distinct and considered extension of his creative work. This event invites a closer engagement with his images, alongside an opportunity to meet the artist, who will also be signing his recently released book, "Noticings".
Photographer and artist Patrick Sansone is also a Grammy-nominated solo artist, singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, member of Autumn Defense and best known as a member of the acclaimed band, Wilco. Enjoy a rare opportunity to engage with Sansone directly while learning about his photographic journey. Sansone will share insights into his creative process, the inspirations behind his work, and the intersection of his musical and visual artistry. The work in this exhibition came directly from his exhibit at MASS MoCA.
“Noticings” explores the often-overlooked details of the everyday world through Sansone’s lens, presenting a collection of images that merge his artistic sensibilities with his observational prowess. Known for his rich dynamic compositions, Sansone’s photography invites viewers to see the ordinary with fresh eyes, revealing the beauty in decay and the extraordinary in the commonplace.
Sansone creates photographs that reference observations of stillness, lure, and intermission. Documenting the artifacts of a near-mythic America, his nostalgic compositions create new narratives of urban America. The landscapes and locales are decidedly post-human, almost otherworldly. Sansone describes the state of mind he reaches for in making this work as a “heightened state of noticing.” For him, the practice is one of detachment and meditation, and with that comes a play in permanence and impermanence, both in his process, and in the images themselves.
Born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi, the Southern aesthetic is ever present in Sansone's photographs, not unlike Eggleston and Christenberry. Signs of antiquity appear as recurring themes, as do moments of tranquility and grandeur. Sansone takes photographs while on the road as a touring musician, and on quiet solitary road trips. Like his music, the resulting bodies of work resemble an album of songs that tell a story of the journey. Through his camera, Sansone records a time and place that is both intimate and forever just out of reach. In his words, “I’m not trying to say anything, I’m just trying to see something.”
Sansone’s photography practice began in the mid-2000s. In 2010 he published “100 Polaroids”, a limited-edition book of Polaroid photography that accompanied an exhibit at MASS MOCA. In more recent years, Sansone started shooting with 35mm and Medium Format film cameras. Sansone stays devoted to an analog practice utilizing film to take photographs of “some things that are there”.
"Noticings" exhibition on view June 25 – 29
Both events open to festival attendees and the public