By Michelle Weinberg, Funding Arts Broward

Made possible with a $50,000 FAB! Knight New Work Award, the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood opened the exhibition Artist Unknown/The Free World to the public on October 28th. It consists of nearly 17,000 photographic images that arose from countless hours of online conversations between artists Oliver Wasow and John D. Monteith. A show like this has never been presented and the Center is honored to be the originating venue for this groundbreaking and historical exhibition.

Vernacular photography is no longer simply the domain of thrift stores and estate sales as countless images of unknown origin are now available via the Internet. This has resulted in entire sub-cultures of people, including the artists, becoming involved in the collecting, trading and transforming of digital material. This show reflects an emerging genre in contemporary visual culture and recognition that in a digital environment the artist’s practice is increasingly migrating from the confines of the studio to the image-rich landscape of the World Wide Web.

Artist/organizers John D. Monteith, who resides in South Carolina, and the New York-based Oliver Wasow were on hand to help install the nearly 800 framed printed pieces and 30-plus scrolling digital frames that feature over 16,000 photos. Assisting the installation are the Center’s chief preparator Carlos Stincer and Curatorial Associate Misael Soto. This exhibition is a landmark in the realm of not only photography, but its context within a contemporary arts dialog. It will surely be among the most talked about shows in South Florida and beyond this season.

The exhibition is accompanied by a 260-page hard cover, full-color book that’s being co-published by the Center and [NAME] Publications, with additional funding from Lou Anne and Mike Colodny. In his text for the book, internationally renowned photography critic and curator Marvin Heiferman compares this exhibition to Edward Steichen’s seminal MoMA traveling photography exhibition of the 1950’s, The Family of Man. On Saturday, Oct. 29, with a reception starting at 4 pm and lecture from 5-6 pm, Heiferman will give a talk on the subject of vernacular photography and the importance of this show as part of the Center’s Hot Topics Discussion Series, which is funded by a Knight Arts Challenge grant. Heiferman has curated major projects, including John Waters: Change of Life (New Museum of Contemporary Art, 2004) and Fame After Photography (Museum of Modern Art, 1999), at such institutions as the Smithsonian Institution, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the International Center of Photography. Acclaimed contemporary art critic Jerry Saltz has also contributed a wonderful text for this book and will give a talk as a part of “Hot Topics” on December 10. Please check the Art and Culture Center’s website http://artandculturecenter.org for more details. The exhibition is on view through January 29, 2012.

The book is available for sale online http://artandculturecenter.org/store and will also be available to view and purchase during the PULSE Miami fair at the Ice Palace Studios presented by Available Space.