07.24 2009

Shawn Brackbill and Maggie Manzer at 1026

Space 1026 presents an exhibition of the photography of Shawn Brackbill and Maggie Manzer opening First Friday August 7, 7-10 p.m., at 1026 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA.

Both Brackbill and Manzer use the camera to capture unguarded moments in the lives of their subjects, be they a friend or a stranger, a bedroom or an unfamiliar landscape.

Shawn Brackbill has made a career of photographing indie culture luminaries, but his portraiture defies the standards of typical “band portraits.” Whether shooting a musician before a performance or models waiting in the wings at a fashion show, the subjects populating the austere environments of his photographs seem to be caught in a cinematic state of suspended animation. Similarly, the mundane settings of Brackbill’s landscapes create a blank canvas that invites the viewer to discover the absurd or the sublime in these commonplace scenes.

Brackbill received a degree in Film Studies from University of Pittsburgh. He has taken photographs for a variety of musicians, record labels, and fashion designers including Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile