Itchy Scratchy

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Itchy Scratchy
An Exhibition of Photographs initated by Jason Evans

Charlotte Cotton, Head of Photographs at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, refers to career changing photographs as “The ones that interest and trouble you because there is something you don’t fully understand about them.” A quote that the Permanent Gallery has chosen to use on its show manifesto and one that could well describe the images provided by the wide selection of photographers whose work is on display. Interestingly it is how Jason Evans has decided to curate the show that brings the pictures together, saving the show from being a selection of less than brilliant pictures and images into a relevant collection. Unfortunately due to the nature of the show, many of the photographs being young graduates or just friends we can not really be sure to what level the principle behind this show has been followed, that said the photographs themselves are, in general interesting and different and not in keeping with the usual kind of images you can so often see at these kind of shows.

The photographers were selected on a friend of a friend basis with Jason Evans starting the chain. Images come from around the world and from a selection of photographs, most noticeably with a photograph by Tod Papageorge.  The presentation of the photographs; print outs from a home printer stuck straight onto the wall was not ideal but related well to the idea of the pictures coming from far and wide, therefore having to be emailed in order to reach the gallery. In all it is small quirks like how the photographers were selected and the raffling off of the images that held together the images resulting in an entertaining if not particularly memorable show.