Eric Kunsman’s solo presentation of images from Thou Art… Will Give… brings a unique look at the Eastern State Penitentiary as our featured guest photographer. His solo exhibition (originally planned for 2020) is being presented in the Focus Gallery in conjunction with our Juried Leica Exhibition.
The Eastern State Penitentiary, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is considered to be the world’s first true penitentiary. Its revolutionary system of incarceration, dubbed the “Pennsylvania system” encouraged separate confinement as a form of rehabilitation. The Penitentiary was intended not simply to punish, but to move the criminal toward spiritual reflection and change. First opened in 1829, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and closed in 1971. The warden was legally required to visit every inmate every day, and it was Eric’s access to the warden’s logbooks that makes his exploration of the Eastern State Penitentiary stand out. This is more than studies in cracked paint, abstract textures and abandoned spaces…
Eric Kunsman: Thou Art… Will Give…
Opening Reception: June 16th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., part of Gallery Night Providence
Exhibition on View: June 16th – July 15th 2022
Masks are Required for all gallery visitors
Artist Statement: Thou Art… Will Give…
… Almost as soon as we entered the conservation lab, I noticed three books titled ‘Eastern State Warden’s Logbook: I opened it idly … and then spent the entire visit pouring over its pages.
The Warden’s entries brought the Penitentiary to life for me. Through his words, the space now felt inhabited and connected to deep emotions – infused with new meaning. Though his writing is detached, the warden clearly got to know the prisoners far more personally than one would expect. The logs include details about prisoners’ families, whether they could read or write, whether they felt guilty about their crimes, whether they were penitent. While my photographs from the earlier visit captured a lot of the physical presence and feeling of the Penitentiary, it was the writings that started to, literally, flesh out the functional and human effects of this altruistic, but ultimately disastrous, Quaker experiment with reforming criminals.
On that day, the genesis for this show clicked. I started returning to the Penitentiary. During each trip it was at least a half hour before I could start photographing. I found myself instantly reflecting on some of the Warden’s words, wandering through the space, and rediscovering things through his eyes and his reflections.
In Thou Art … , Will Give … , I hope to offer some of the atmosphere experienced by prisoners when the Penitentiary was active. This exhibition attempts to capture some of the story, energy, and the sorrows of this remarkable space. Actual photographs of entries from the Warden’s 1800s logbooks have been blended with my photographs of the Penitentiary, to give a historical sense of both the prisoners and their treatment at the Penitentiary. Photographs with text overlaid are offered to allow the viewer just a hint about the presence of individual prisoners. I am hoping that through these images and text, visitors can share some of the sense of loneliness, hopelessness, and desperate search for redemption that drove so many of those spirits still trapped within the walls of Eastern State.
– Eric Kunsman
About: Eric Kunsman
Eric is a photographer and book artist based out of Rochester, New York. Eric works at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as a Lecturer for the Visual Communications Studies Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and is an Assistant Professor for the School of Photographic Arts & Sciences.
Eric holds an MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and an MS in Electronic Publishing/Graphic Arts Media, BS in Biomedical Photography, BFA in Fine Art photography all from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.
Eric is attracted to objects left behind, especially those that hint at a unique human narrative, a story waiting to be told….
SLIDESHOW – Installation
Eric Kunsman: Thou Art… Will Give
Opening Reception: June 16th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., part of Gallery Night Providence
Exhibition on View: June 16th – July 15th 2022
The Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, RICPA
Located in the heart of Providence, RICPA was founded to inspire creative development and provide opportunities to engage with the community through exhibitions, education, publication, and mutual support.
RICPA exists to create a diverse and supportive community for individuals interested in learning or working in Photographic Arts. We strive to provide an environment conducive to the free exchange of ideas in an open and cooperative space. Members should share a passion for creating, appreciating, or learning about all forms of photo-based media. We work to provide a platform for artistic expression, that fosters dialogue and drives innovation in the photographic arts.
The Gallery at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts is a member of Gallery Night Providence Gallery Night
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