The work you encounter on the College of Design’s Virtual Gallery may contain a number of topics that are emotionally challenging and can create discomfort. Some work contains adult content and sensitive subject matter. We encourage you to engage with the variety of perspectives, opinions and experiences shown here and to discuss them with your family members, peers and mentors.

Gallery 181V

Our Virtual Design Gallery

Un | Familiar

Rachel Connell 3 years ago

Photographs by Alyss Vernon + Annick Sjobakken

Relating to family members can be the most intimate yet fraught task one can set out to do. In this exhibition, both artists explore the intricacies, false expectations, and pitfalls of family dynamics in their respective bodies of work. In using the camera as a means of processing and connecting, the resulting artwork aims to visually communicate the difficulties that are inherent in familial relationships.

Installation Views

Details

About the Artists:

Annick Sjobakken is a Des Moines based photographer and educator. She received her BFA in Photography in 2003 from Parsons School of Design and her MFA in Photography, Video, and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts in 2009. Her work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, TIME, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Globe and Mail, Fraction Magazine, Lenscratch, The Ones We Love, and PDN and has been shown in numerous exhibitions. Website: http://www.annicksjobakken.com/

Alyss Vernon is a photographer based in Des Moines, Iowa. She received her BFA from New Mexico State University in 2010 and MA and MFA from the University of Iowa in 2012 and 2013 with concentrations in Photography, Art History, Museum Studies, and Book Arts. Her work has been exhibited nationally and featured in multiple online publications. Since 2017, Alyss has been curating exhibitions, promoting Midwestern artists, and coordinating community arts events through her work at Olson-Larsen Galleries in West Des Moines. Website: http://www.alyssvernon.com/