Photograph Exhibition: Although exhibitions of photograph exhibitiony go back to the origins of the craft, a giant step forward was taken in 1937 when the Professional photograph exhibitioners of America tied demonstration of skill to a degree program honoring individual competence and technique. With this development, the recognition motive has been utilized to upgrade skill and improve standards of work. Consistency of performance is another underlying principle of the Merit and Degree Program. The Master of photograph exhibitiony (M. Photog.) is awarded to those photograph exhibitioners whose superior competence and technique have been repeatedly recognized in exhibition competition. To gain the degree, photographers must earn 13 exhibition merits and 12 more exhibition or achievement merits. Exhibition merits are earned when a photograph exhibition receives a score of 80 or better in the General Exhibit at the Exposition of Professional photograph exhibitiony held at the association's annual convention.
Paradoxically, before a photograph exhibition can be accepted as a document, it must itself be documented—placed in time and space. This may be effectively done by context, by including the familiar with the unfamiliar, either in one image or in paired images. A series of photograph exhibitions, presented in succession on exhibition walls or on the pages of a book, may be greater than the sum of the parts. |
