Curtis Mann announced as Whitney Biennial 2010 artist!
Collection artist, friend, and former employee of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Curtis Mann, was announced today as a Whitney Biennial 2010 artist! This summer, Mann was one of three artists featured in MP3: Volume II, an exhibition of artists from the Midwest Photographer??s Project. We were privileged to speak with Mann regarding this incredible and exciting news.
Photographer, scratch (Beirut), from the Modifications series, 2007
As always, Mann was modest and gracious as he described feeling excited by the announcement (he may have jumped in the air once) and noted his effort to stay levelheaded about the news. Mann was able to choose which piece he wanted to show. He is calm and collected right now, as the work has already been created and there??s not much to do other than wait until February. However, Mann suggested that his nerves may come once he??s in New York and the show begins. At the time of our conversation, Mann was unaware of the other artists in the show, but expressed an eagerness to know if any of his ??artist heroes? might share the space with him or visit the museum.
Mann hopes Biennial viewers are interested in the work and looks forward to how they respond to it, especially within the context of the Biennial and in the presence of the other artists. The opportunity to show his work to such a large audience excites him and he and sees this exposure and viewership as a chance to test the validity of the work.
Boy and carving (Iraq), from the Modifications series, 2007
Though he plans to celebrate with friends and family in New York, Mann also looks forward to speaking more with the Biennial??s curators, Francesco Bonami (who conducted the studio visit with Mann here at the MoCP!) and Gary Carrion-Murayari, as well as the Whitney??s director, Adam Weinberg.
The MoCP staff is thrilled for Mann and wishes him nothing but the best for the Whitney show and for his future work. Congratulations, Curtis! Much MoCP love!
Read the NYT feature.
Visit the Whitney Biennial 2010 site.
See Mann??s MoCP collection images.
Watch a video of Mann working in the studio.