LACP’s Fifth Annual Members’ Exhibition, 2018

The Juror

Catherine Couturier is the owner and director of Catherine Couturier Gallery. Upon its inception, the gallery quickly evolved into the premier photography gallery in Houston and sits at the center of Gallery Row. The gallery is a member of AIPAD, and Catherine serves on the advisory council of Houston Center for Photography. Couturier also reviews portfolios for organizations and festivals such as Photo Nola, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, and Fotofest, is a juror for Critical Mass, and give lectures to artists and collectors alike on a myriad of subjects related to the field of fine art photography. The Catherine Couturier Gallery is committed to excellence with a dedication to the medium in all its forms, with the goal to showcase the best fine art photography available.

Juror's Statement

Whenever I am asked to judge fine art photography, be that in a juried exhibition, a portfolio review, or a submission to the gallery, one question is always going through my mind: is this an interesting photograph, or is it just a photograph of an interesting subject? Selecting the top images in Los Angeles Center for Photography’s membership exhibition was no different.

My preference is always to judge prints in person, as I believe the finished product, the actual physical photograph, is what’s most important, but the image itself must first be captivating. The subject doesn’t have to be exciting or interesting or captivating on its own: the photographer must use his or her own voice to make it so. The mundane can be beautiful (A shock of hair in Jo Ann Chaus’s It, 2017). The light can change something simple into something stunning (Joan Lobis Brown’s image of a chair by a patio door). The absurd can be fascinating (I don’t have to know why Brian Van der Wetering’s image is of a hand holding a gun to the head of a Jack in the Box to like what I see). The photographs can be shot on the street (Jared Fortunato’s, Sunset) or elaborately staged (Bootsy Holler’s Modern Myths: Dead Pool), none of it matters, so long as it’s an interesting photograph, not just a photograph of an interesting subject.

I didn’t worry too much about having wide range of subjects or an even mix of black and white and color. For this exhibition, I chose the images I think are best, as great photographs, no matter how diverse, will always make a great show. I’m excited to see the work in person and hope everyone enjoys the pieces as much as I do.

Exhibiting Artists

Bob Zahn, Bootsy Holler, Brian Van de Wetering, Carissa Dorson, Catherine Just, Christopher Sheils, Chung Ping Cheng, Connie Gardner Rosenthal, Craig David Smith, David Miller, Debe Arlook, Dinesh Boaz, Gary Beeber, Gregory Talley, J.K. Lavin, Jared Fortunato, Jo Ann Chaus, Joan Lobis Brown, Joe Doherty, Jon Wollenhaupt, Jonas Yip, Joshua Sarinana, JP Terlizzi, Karchi Perlmann, Michael Rababy, Molly McCall, Nathalie Seaver, Paul Fernandez, Paula Gibson, Richard Chow, Robert Bonk, Robert Guy Needham, Sara Musashi, Sarah Hadley, Shari Yantra Marcacci, Thouly Dosios, Weldon Brewster and Wendi Schneider

Virtual Gallery Artists

Alberto Mesirca, Anand Khokha, Anderson House, Ann Toler, Bob Zahn, Brian Van de Wetering, Carl Shubs, Connie Gardner Rosenthal, Dinesh Boaz, Douglas Caldwell, Izumi Tanaka, Jane Szabo, Jeff Bynum, Jeff Curran, Jo Ann Chaus, Jonas Yip, Joshua Sarinana, JP Terlizzi, Marilyn Carren, Matt Connors, Molly McCall, Rebecca Hackemann, Sally Ann Field, Sara Musashi, Scott Sener, Susie Shapira, Tara O’Gorman, Ted Polmanski, Todd Bradley, Tom Wheeler, Wayne Swanson and Weldon Brewster