Southern Oregon University’s Schneider Museum of Art (SMA) is thrilled to announce its summer exhibition, “PACING: Photographs by Dru Donovan, Melanie Flood, and Tarrah Krajnak.”

The exhibition will open at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, and will be on view through August 10, 2024.

About the Exhibition:

The act of pacing involves moving forward in a measured, rhythmic manner, where each step is taken in consideration of the one before it. “PACING” explores this duality of ease and tension through the lens-based works of three midcareer, female-identifying photographers: Dru Donovan, Melanie Flood, and Tarrah Krajnak. Each artist employs performative methods to document their bodies and those of others, reflecting on their relationships to social histories, expectations, and structures.

Meet the Artists:

Melanie Flood has used the camera as a tool for self-expression throughout her life. Her photographs, spanning from childhood to the present, explore her evolving femininity and critique gender constructs through a blend of vulnerability and playful experimentation.

Tarrah Krajnak reclaims the photographic medium’s masculine history through her Indigenous transracial adoptee experience. Her interrelated works use the body to reenact lost histories, employing rituals and performances to create a continuous connection between her presence, the work’s origins, and its future.

Dru Donovan highlights the strength and ability of the female body in both athletes and caregivers. Her crisp black-and-white images juxtapose the force and endurance required for various actions, emphasizing the interdependence and mutual responsibility inherent in these roles.

More information: https://sma.sou.edu/exhibitions/pacing-photographs-by-dru-donovan-melanie-flood-and-tarrah-krajnak/

Image: Dru Donovan, Liberty Pose, 2017, Video loop, 35 x 57 inches, courtesy of the artist.