Photos of Nothing
Photo Show & Immersive Installation • 2019
“Photos of Nothing” served as Christian Gerard’s debut solo show and featured 48 of Gerard’s thousands of “photos of nothing”. The show took place in medicina urbana, a doctor’s office in SW Detroit, where each room in the clinician’s office was coincidentally painted a unique color spanning the rainbow, serving as a jumping-off point to create intimate gallery rooms. Curated by Madalyn Knebel, groups of photos were paired with specific wall colors, such as the lush green and yellow photos in the first row above popping against the Pink Room’s walls, or the hexaptych of the translucent trash bag flowing in the wind set against the Brown Room.
As part of the show, the opening night concentrated on being a sober event with NA beverages by Hedgewitch Holistics, as well as acoustic music by Ashlee Moseley, providing guests with safe, inspiring space, which is a practice Gerard would love to continue incorporating into public showings of his work & events he participates in.
Not Nothing
Photo Transparencies & Lighting
Christian Gerard
Floral Sculptures
Madalyn Knebel
“Not Nothing” debuted at Christian Gerard’s 2019 “Photos of Nothing” show and was an immersive avant-garde photo installation featuring Gerard’s botanical prints on transparancy paper strung throughout the once-clinical bathroom, complimented by Madalyn Knebel’s three-dimensional botanical sculptures encased within bathroom fixtures, all tied together with whimsical lighting.
This piece was an exploration in utilizing the physician’s public restroom for showcasing art and proved one can transport viewers from a traditionally sterile space to a secret garden. Guests entered the mysterious room via pink velvet curtains to discover a candy hued room complete with astro turf, beckoning guests to take a seat and take in the sights. This room served as a sanctuary fit for everyone from children to adults and was the perfect place to alleviate social anxiety, escape bright gallery lighting, or have an intimate moment at a public event.
