Alanna Lawley and Matt Giel

Duett, January 2012 (Curated by Becky Hunter)

This January 2012 at Grizzly Grizzly, two artists reach “across the pond” to create collaborative works based on the physical experience of the photographic image in the innovative exhibition “Duett.” Organized by art writer and curator Becky Hunter, the exhibition presents the results of a six-month transatlantic exchange between British, Berlin-based artist Alanna Lawley and Matt Giel, an American artist living in Philadelphia.

Using Skype, GChat and email to exchange images and ideas, the artists have produced photographic and mixed media work in response to each other’s practice and Grizzly Grizzly’s space.  The exhibition title “Duett,” which comes from the German word for duet, reflects the two-person nature of the collaboration and Lawley’s current residence.

Both Giel and Lawley engage with photography as a swiftly changing medium with a complex history. Lawley pushes analog, medium format and found images through manual rearranging and digital processing, while Giel is concerned with darkroom details, such as the space between the photo paper and enlarger light. Their work engages with the physical properties, objecthood, and the spatiality of photography.

The exhibition will comprise three-dimensional, installed photographic work by both artists, made in Philadelphia in response to their ongoing discussions and exchanges.

Alongside the more conventional sculptural work, ephemera from Giel, Lawley and Hunter's conversations will be on display on a dedicated web page – including edited texts and email trails, sketches, maquettes, and failed experiments. A discussion with the artists, chaired by Vox-Populi member and photographer Anna Neighbor, a talk by web professional and curator Kelani Nichole, and an essay by Becky Hunter will also supplement the exhibition.

Additional documentation of the project can be found at: duettprojekt.tumblr.com