Alex Turner
Blind River
Like ephemeral rivers in the Sonoran Desert, humans and wildlife move across the US/Mexico border in a complex network of fluctuating currents. Political, economic, and environmental forces require them to adapt. As a result, their movements are fleeting, varied, and mostly hidden.
Scientists and government agencies monitor and analyze these movements remotely. The observers’ intentions vary greatly, yet their tactics and data sets often overlap and mirror each other. Merging imagery from their technologies with detailed landscape photographs, I collapse the negative space between intimacy and detachment; between activity and dormancy.
Does de-humanized observation generate an impassive and simplified lens through which to view this contested space? Is there room for empathy in a system that promotes objectivity? I examine these concerns and encourage viewers to consider subjects and scenes beyond their assigned taxonomies and flattened narratives.
Alex Turner (b. Chicago, Illinois) combines imaging technologies to highlight sociopolitical and environmental concerns along the U.S./Mexico border. He was awarded the University of Arizona Carson Scholarship and N-Gen Sonoran Desert Researchers Grant for his interdisciplinary research and artwork. In 2020 he won First Place in LensCulture’s Black and
White Awards, was named to Photolucida’s Critical Mass Top 50, received SPE’s Innovation in Imaging Award and was a finalist for both the Bird in Flight Prize and Lucie Foundation Scholarship. His work has been exhibited internationally andfeatured in publications including Lenscratch, Fisheye, Der Greif, Fraction, Tique, C41 and Terrain. He holds an MFA from the University of Arizona and currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Education
2020 MFA in Studio Art: Photography | Video | Imaging, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 2008 BA in Studio Art, magna cum laude, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Solo Exhibitions
2020-2021 The Endless Chain, ENR2 Art + Environment Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2019 Occultations, Lionel Rombach Gallery, Tucson, AZ
Group Exhibitions
2021 LensCulture Black and White Awards Exhibition, New York City, NY (forthcoming) 2021 Alumni Exhibition, University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ (forthcoming) 2021 art+science2, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX (juror: Linda Alterwitz)
2020 Bird in Flight 2020 Exhibition, Kyiv, Ukraine
2020-2021 Arizona Biennial 2020, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ (juror: Joe Baker) 2019 Border Control: New Media Caucus, Stamps Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI (juror: Allison Collins) 2019 Regime of Images, Durden and Ray Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (curator: Lawrence Gipe) 2019 Wild/Sun, Harry Wood Gallery, Tempe, AZ
2019 From Here to Eternity, MOCA, Tucson, AZ, (juror: Ginger Shulick Porcella) 2019 R+D: School of Art Exhibition and Open Studio, Graduate and Alumni Gallery, Tucson, AZ 2019 School of Art Scholarship Exhibition, Lionel Rombach Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2018 On and Off the Wall, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2018 Testing Ground, Lionel Rombach Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2018 Decay in Three Instantiations, Boathouse Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2018 Advanced Color Photo, Todd Walker Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2018 The Measure of Home, Infuse Project, Tucson, AZ
Features / Reviews / Interviews
2020 Tsatsas, Lou. “Featured Artist,” Fisheye, Online, December 2020
2020 Attah, Mariama. “Bodies of Knowledge,” Der Greif, Online, December 2020 2020 “Critical Mass, Issue 141,” Fraction Magazine, Online, December 2020
2020 “Six Questions: Alex Turner,” Tique, Online, October 2020
2020 “Featured Artist: Alex Turner,” C41 Magazine, Online, September 2020
2020 George, Daniel. “Alex Turner: Blind River” Lenscratch, Online, July 2020
2020 “12th Anniversary Group Exhibition, Issue 134,” Fraction Magazine, Online, May 2020 2020 “Thesis 2020: Alex Turner,” Photo-Emphasis, Online, April 2020
2019 “Prairie Song: Alex Turner,” From Here On Out, Online, May 2019
ALEX TURNER
Awards / Grants / Scholarships
2020 Honorable Mention, Lucie Foundation Photo Made Scholarship
Juror’s Award, art+science2 exhibition, A Smith Gallery (juror: Linda Alterwitz)
1st Place Single Image, LensCulture Black and White Awards
Finalist, Bird in Flight Prize
Critical Mass Top 50, Photolucida
Critical Mass MFA Student Scholarship, Photolucida
College of Fine Arts Small Grant, The University of Arizona
2019 Innovation in Imaging Award, Society for Photographic Education
Environment and Natural Resources Exhibit Honorarium, The University of Arizona
Medici Scholarship, The University of Arizona
George Grant Memorial Photography Scholarship, The University of Arizona
College of Fine Arts Scholarship, The University of Arizona
Graduate Assistantship, The University of Arizona
GPSC Travel Grant, The University of Arizona
2018 Carson Program Scholarship, The University of Arizona
N-Gen Sonoran Desert Researchers Grant, Tucson, AZ
Graduate Assistantship, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Nancy Strauss Art Scholarship, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Tuition Scholarship, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO
Medici Scholarship, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
College of Fine Arts Small Grant, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
GPSC Travel Grant, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2017 School of Art Tuition Scholarship, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Graduate Access Fellowship, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
AZ Scholars Graduate Tuition Award, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Published Writing
2020 “Revealing the River,” Terrain.org online publication
Speaking Engagements
2021 Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA (forthcoming)
2020 Arizona Photo Alliance, Phoenix, AZ
2020 Society for Photographic Education National Conference, Houston, TX
2019 The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Teaching/Research Experience
Spring 2021 Adjunct Professor, Art 345: Large Scale Photographic Processes, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Spring 2020 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Instructor of Record, Art 100C: First Year Experience – Gaze University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Spring 2020 Graduate Assistant, CATalyst Studio, University of Arizona Libraries, Tucson, AZ Fall 2019 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Fall 2019 Graduate Assistant, CATalyst Studio, University of Arizona Libraries, Tucson, AZ Spring 2019 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Instructor of Record, Art 100C: First Year Experience – Gaze University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Fall 2018 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Spring 2018 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Instructor of Record, Art 244: Introduction to Photographic Practices University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Service
2018-2019 Graduate Student Council President, School of Art, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ