Limits of Control

The Oak Cliff Cultural Center is proud to present Limits of Control, a photography exhibition curated by Sebastien Boncy. Exhibition features the works of Veronica Melwanders, Kimberly Pivaral, Tara Rios, Patricia Rodriguez Mayo, and Kristina Smith. Limits of Control will open May 6, 2016 to June 10, 2016 with an artist reception on Saturday, May14 at 5:30pm. Exhibit and Reception are FREE and open to the public.

Notes from the Curator

The Limits of Control, named for the Jim Jarmusch film, is a group show of young Texas based photographers. The work displays a variety of styles and themes, but is held together by a certain sensibility elucidated in the statement. I am aiming for a show that is dense in works and allusions without being chaotic.

Statement

“La vida no vale nada”

There is a peculiar courage in being young. One is tempted to rush into the solid and often staid edifice of adulthood, where it is the walls of responsibility that hold up a body and not the other way around. Or worse yet, one can sink deeper into the stupid beanbag of infantilization. Old children are mean and young grown ups are sad. The young are fearless.

I do not mean to insult the photographers of Limits of Control by denying them the title of adults. That term is negatively loaded, and we can yet keep it at a distance while still recognizing each artist’s maturity, sophistication and good judgment.

It is the exact convergence of those three qualities that has led to the work in question, these images submitted to you. Together they suggest a world of layered existence where openness, generosity, and attention are both coping mechanism and tools of navigation. The cynics are quick to say that a life is worth little, but the young, with their clear understanding of the multiplicities of existence, will tell you that there is no accounting for life. The future is contingent, consequences are opportunities, and hope is always present.

- Sebastien Boncy