Jesse Duran & Lukas Foxx: A Different Lens
Jesse Duran’s straightforward images need little explanation –only a few words. The portraits and still life subjects were captured on film and printed in the darkroom over 30 years ago. They represent Duran’s enduring interest in fine art photography, both in the studio and in available light. In the portraits, he was drawn to the momentary connection with the “sitters” as each allowed Duran to see their unguarded self, even though the studio setting, with umbrellas, flash, and backdrops, was stage-like. Duran believes, “A portrait should feel true to the person, not just flattering or recognizable.”
The arranged still lifes were familiar possessions he collected and appreciated. When combined within the frame, these often took on further meaning, well beyond identity, shape, or texture. Duran enjoyed the challenge of creating compositions that seemed meaningful.
Several of the photographs contain words and are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. The original photograph became the foundation for mixed-media artworks. Spanish words, paper, or photographs were added, and the background was transformed through hours of graphite mark-making. Others have been altered by scratching the film and toning the contact print in selenium and sepia.
Lukas Foxx creates images that reveal unexpected perspectives and quiet tensions that reward a second look, constantly intrigue him. His photographs move between beauty and unease, prompting viewers to slow down and look again. Rather than explaining the moment, the work leaves space for interpretation. Some viewers may experience the images as playful or sensual, while others may find them provocative or slightly unsettling.
Work in Progress marks the first public exhibition of this personal work, bringing together photographs created over the past two decades, primarily in the studio. The process is deliberate and often experimental, balancing control with discovery. Foxx is interested in the challenge of translating an idea into a finished image, maintaining a sense of precision while allowing room for imperfection and tension.
The presentation of the work is an extension of this process. Images are rendered as prints, with careful attention to how material and surface affect perception. Clean, refined compositions are paired with subjects that resist easy interpretation, creating a contrast between elegance and ambiguity.