This is a brochure that accompanies En Foco\'s New Works #12 photography exhibition, at Calumet Photographic in NYC (June 4-25, 2009)

1. New Works #12
A n E xhibition of E n f oco ’s A nnuAl
n Ew works P hotogrAPhy A wArds f Ellows
June 4 - June 25, 2009
Karen Garrett de Luna
Morgan M. Ford
© Morgan M. Ford, Beauty Starts Here, Ritualistic Beauty: The [un]Nature of Cosmetics
series, 2009. Gelatin silver print & beeswax, 24 x 24”
Isabelle Lutterodt
New Works #12
by Deborah Willis
Wendy Phillips
En Foco’s New Works Photography Awards (2008-2009) brought
Cybèle Clark-Mendes together a cross section of photographers and photo-artists
Archy LaSalle whose works range from portraiture and documentary to
narrative photography and digitally inspired images. The New
Viviane Moos Works submissions inform us of En Foco’s mission to promote
and encourage new images produced by emerging and under-
recognized mid-career photographers and artists. As a curator
and photographer, I was honored to participate.
Juror: Deborah Willis
The selection process was inspiring not only because of the
number of submissions but also because of the nature of the
Opening Reception: concepts presented. As I began to identify award recipients,
I noticed that the disparate works challenged and excited
Wednesday June 10, 6:00 - 8:30 pm me. The three winners—Karen Garrett de Luna, Morgan M.
Ford, and Isabelle Lutterodt—focus in their work on notions
Artist Talk: of memory through art historical references, identity, cultural
traditions, and the land. I believe En Foco’s mission to nurture
Saturday June 13, 3:30 - 4:30 pm works that express a cohesive visual record of the trajectory of
contemporary photographic practices is clearly present in the
work of these three artists. I am delighted that the images in the
Calumet Photographic Honorable Mention category deal with social issues, landscapes,
22 West 22nd Street identity, and religion.
New York, NY 10010
I am equally delighted to see new works that privilege
documentary and digital photography. In making my selection,
I looked for work that reflects the artist’s ability to visualize ideas
and his or her aesthetic sensibility in executing these ideas. The
final selection exemplifies the commitment of each artist to
www.enfoco.org their statement and resonates the vitality of other photo-artists
working today.

2. Currently living in southern California, Isabelle Lutterodt
has lived on the east coast of the United States, in the United
Kingdom, and West Africa. Her work is informed by memory and
a personal photographic archive. Lutterodt weaves community,
family history, and the politics of identity into her landscapes and
streetscapes. She includes the architecture of small churches,
homes, businesses, and historic sites in her photographic studies.
Lutterodt’s use of family photographs is central to her dreamlike,
diaristic images, and her use of text contextualizes them.
© Karen Garrett de Luna, Kris with Quartz and Rose Quartz Crystals,
Articles of Faith series, 2009. Archival print, 19 x 32”
Articles of Faith by Karen Garrett de Luna is a collaboration
between subject and photographer. There is a participatory
nature to her work whereby she observes, questions and
documents: By questioning her subjects, she reveals the words
and beliefs her subjects live by, making her portraits spiritual and
reflective. Her questions include:
What kind of amulet or talisman do you wear?
How does it protect you?
How does your amulet or talisman represent your beliefs?
De Luna writes: “Life is fragile. Wearing an amulet or talisman
is one of the ways in which people seek to protect themselves
against death and evil spirits. In creating diptychs that present the
objects people wear beside portraits of the people themselves, I
© Isabelle Lutterodt, Historical Marker (Eastern, Maryland), Douglass/Brown series, 2008.
am documenting what objects in the physical world make us feel Gelatin silver print, 21 x 10.25”
safe; contrasting them with simple portraits show our intrinsic
human vulnerability.” She states: “As a bi-racial woman, I am interested in exploring
how multiple perspectives are conveyed through image and
Morgan M. Ford’s Ritualistic Beauty: The [Un]Nature of Cosmetics text. Informed by historical events, literature, personal memory,
examines the notion of rituals from personal to collective, private fantasy, and urban legends, my work explores how culture,
to universal. Ford looks at the performance of ritual in everyday place, and identity intersect to imagine a new account or re-
life, and she documents the rituals within beauty. Ford is well envisioning of events. Ultimately, I hope to raise questions that
aware that the photographic image is as powerful as the written challenge long-held assumptions and urban lore.”
word.
The photographers highlighted in the Honorable Mention
By documenting the performance of beauty rituals, she category—Archy LaSalle, Viviane Moos, Wendy Phillips, and
challenges the viewer to consider the persuasive power of Cybèle Clark-Mendes—exemplify my dilemma in establishing
advertising campaigns, especially ones focusing on hair, facial the notion of winners. Creating a hierarchy such as this one is a
features and body type. Her photographs explore the multilayered daunting task. Many of the submissions engaged me because of
subliminal messages found between notions of the “real” and the the insightful new projects that daringly framed the new works
constructed self. category. Thus, it is critical for En Foco to continue to provide a
space for photographers to publish and for En Foco’s audience to
Ford writes: “From the time girls hit puberty, there is an onslaught view new works.
of different rituals regularly taught to be practiced. I feel that the
media conveys the subtle idea that a woman will not be a woman Deborah Willis has pursued a dual professional career as a fine
if the rituals are not practiced—that they will not be beautiful, art photographer and as one of the nation's leading historians
loved, sexy, or complete. Women burned bras in the 60’s, but it of African American photography and curator of African Ameri-
seems that women are now burning cash in retail stores across can culture. She was a 2005 Guggenheim Fellow and Fletcher
America in order to be accepted into a society to which they Fellow, and a 2000 MacArthur Fellow. She teaches at the Tisch
already inherently belong.” School of the Arts at New York University.

3. KAREN GARRETT DE LUNA CYBÈLE CLARK-MENDES
quot;Curiosity about the objects people wear next to their skin “My interests as an artist have centered on issues of identity. I
(especially members of my Filipino Catholic family) sparked my have explored my bi-racial background, as well as the meaning
investigation of these personal and ritualized acts of adornment. within the dynamics of my family history. The older I’ve gotten
My aim is to document the objects in the physical world that and the more life I’ve lived, the more that my interest in
make us feel safer and contrast them with simple portraits personal identity has expanded to include womanhood. “
showing our intrinsic human strength and vulnerability.” www.cybele.tv
www.delunatic.net © Cybèle Clark-Mendes, untitled #1, Dichotomies series, 2007. Archival pigment print, 5.5 x 9.5”
© Karen Garrett de Luna, Bogdan with Russian-Orthodox Cross, Articles of Faith series, 2009.
Archival digital print, 19 x 32”
ISABELLE LUTTERODT
“As a bi-racial woman, I am interested in exploring how
multiple perspectives are conveyed though image and text.
Informed by historical events, literature, personal memory,
fantasy and urban legends, my work explores how culture,
place and identity intersect to imagine a new account or re- WENDY PHILLIPS
envisioning of events. “ “La Limpia Project was inspired by what I have learned about
© Isabelle Lutterodt, Douglass/Brown series, 2008. Gelatin silver print, 13.5 x 6.5”
Afromestizo women’s conceptualization of illness and their
rituals related to healing. In this series, my body is the loca-
tion of the rituals, and my photographs include the ritual
objects and symbols the women use in their traditional
practices.”
© Wendy Phillips, La Limpia #10, La Limpia series, 2006.
Sepia toned gelatin silver print with goldleaf, 15 x 15”
MORGAN M. FORD ARCHY LASALLE
“The media plays into women’s desire to belong by persuading “At rare moments in human life, strong forms converge in the
them if they wear this bra or buy this kind of mascara they same instant that time and reality are revealed by movement
will find love and respect because they will then, and only and gesture. I make a photograph—just then. Moments like
then, be seen as a real women.” these are not found, they are sought after with intense con-
www.morganford.com centration and purpose.” www.lasallephoto.cjb.net
© Morgan Ford, Underwear That Will Get You Noticed, Ritualistic Beauty: The [un]Nature of
Cosmetics series, 2009. Gelatin silver print & beeswax, 24 x 24” © Archy LaSalle, Two Gentlemen, More Precious than Diamonds: People of South Africa series,
2007. Gelatin silver print, 8 x 12”

4. A selection of New Works #12 images
will also be on view at:
Modernage Custom Digital Imaging Labs
1150 Avenue of the Americas (at 44th Street)
New York, NY 10036
www.modernage.com
VIVIANE MOOS June 22 - September 30, 2009
“My passion is to be a voice for the voiceless, which is why
I work with women and children, bring back their survival
struggle in the hopes that people will care and help change
the world.”
www.vivianemoos.com
© Viviane Moos, David and Xuxa, Brazilian Street Diary series, 1991. Gelatin silver print, 8 x 10”
ABOUT NEW WORKS
En Foco’s New Works Photography Awards Fellowship is an annual
program selecting three or more U.S. based photographers of Latino,
African, Asian, Native American or Pacific Islander heritage, through a
national call for entries. New Works helps artists to create or complete
an in-depth photographic series exploring themes of their choice,
and provides the infrastructure needed for national visibility and a
professional exhibition of their new work in the New York area.
SubmiSSionS DeaDline for new workS #13: July 31, 2009
EN FOCO
Installation view of one of the New Works #12 winners, Karen
Garrett de Luna , at Calumet Photographic. En Foco is a non-profit dedicated to producing exhibitions,
© Miriam Romais
publications, and events which support American photographers
of Latino, African, Asian heritage, and Native peoples. For more
information about our programs, please visit www.enfoco.org
new workS iS maDe poSSible thankS to the Support of : OTHER EN FOCO EVENTS
JUNE 20:
Portfolio Review Sessions
JUNE 24:
Benefit Party to Kick-off En Foco’s 35th Year
JULY 31:
Submission Deadline for New Works #13
En Foco, Inc.
1738 Hone Avenue, Bronx 10461 718.931.9311 www.enfoco.org