artist run space soda

Photography and Painting. Once Again.

This exhibition forms a counterpart to the “Photographs by Painters” held at soda in 2018.

Now, eight years later, we present the “Paintings by Photographers” here.

Since photography's birth, painting and photography have continuously shifted their complex distance, still passionately oscillating within the endless movement of their relationship.

Historically, while many examples exist of photographs created by painters, one might find fewer instances of paintings by photographers.

Yet, among these, the works and activities of Charles Sheeler, who moved between painter and photographer, are very interesting.

And  the vivid paintings (drawings) by William Eggleston, often called the father of color photography, possess a unique freshness, as if the very essence of the snapshot had been transformed directly into painting.

The advancement of photography and technology have been closely intertwined, and the impact of technological innovations like today's AI on photography is immeasurable.

Simultaneously, as a reaction, we sense a rapidly growing movement seeking new photographic expression by returning to classical analog techniques and painterly expression.

It is precisely now, as vectors point toward both extremes, that we intuitively feel the timing is right to hold this exhibition “Paintings by Photographers”.

What emerges when photographers are deliberately asked to create “paintings”? What kind of ‘paintings’ will appear?

What is presented here is not “painting-like photography.” It is the photographers' “paintings.”

They will reveal new possibilities for painting. And might they also reveal new possibilities for photography?

2026. Here, the “Paintings by Photographers” casts a reverse light on the “Photographs by Painters”.

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