Black & White International Photography Exhibition | JASON TANNEN
In 2010, I began a project photographing San Francisco’s Chinatown neighborhood. I was drawn to Chinatown’s physical and visual density of storefronts, signs and symbols, and the ever-present cultural collision of East and West. For me, those elements could best be explored in black and white, which can focus on the essential elements of light and shadow, image and meaning.
I purposely avoid including people in these Chinatown pictures, although their presence is ubiquitous. I try to achieve a sense of anticipation in these photographs, with indirect references to the human presence: signs, symbols, graphic portrayals, and architectural elements such as open doorways and corridors. I rarely photograph direct sunlight, preferring the subtleties of skylight, which filters down between the buildings. I shoot mainly in the early hours of the day to capture the unique quality of early morning light. An added attraction to shooting early in the day is that there is less street traffic.
Jason Tannen is a photographer, gallery curator, and educator. From 1998 to 2014, he directed Chico State’s University Art Gallery, and taught the History of Photography and Film Studies. He has exhibited his photographs widely, with recent exhibitions in Seattle, San Francisco, Rome, and Budapest. He received his MFA degree from the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.
