Rachel Papo, It's Been Pouring: The Dark Secret of the First Year of Motherhood
It's Been Pouring: The Dark Secret of the First Year of Motherhood
December 2 - 31, 2021
Blue Sky is pleased to announce It's Been Pouring: The Dark Secret of the First Year of Motherhood, an exhibition of photographs by Rachel Papo.
image © Rachel Papo
Rachel Papo subverts the romantic notions of motherhood as she shares the very real condition of postpartum depression that she and others experience. By documenting contrasting and visceral feelings through photographs and journal entries, Papo builds awareness of something that often goes unnoticed or is misunderstood. It’s Been Pouring sets out to capture the voices of mothers in their darkest moments. This collection of photographs and interviews shines a direct light on their experiences, exposing the unbearable tension that exists between the miracle of birth and the horror that follows, leading the viewer through a narrative of despair.
In-Person Gallery Talk, Saturday December 4, 2021
image © Rachel Papo
Rachel Papo (American-Israeli, American Born, b. 1970) was born in Columbus, Ohio and was raised in Israel. She began photographing as a teenager and attended a renowned fine-arts high-school in Haifa, Israel. At age eighteen she served in the Israeli Air Force as a photographer. She earned a BFA in Fine Arts from Ohio State University (1991-96), and an MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York City (2002-05). Rachel's photographs are included in numerous public and private collections, and have been exhibited and published worldwide. She is represented by ClampArt Gallery in New York City, and has published two monographs, Serial No. 3817131 (PowerHouse Books, 2008) and Homeschooled (Kehrer Verlag, 2016). She has been selected as a finalist for the "Santa Fe Prize for Photography," and was awarded a NYFA Fellowship in 2006. In 2009, Rachel won a Lucie Award for "Deeper Perspective Photographer of the Year." She lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn, New York, working on personal projects and accepting commissions.
Portland Tribune covers Papo’s Exhibition - 11.29.21