on September 17, 2012

Mikayla Whitmore: Forever No More @ Winchester Gallery

Mikayla Whitmore
Forever No More”
Through Friday, October 12
Winchester Cultural Center Gallery
3130 S. McLeod
For information contact 455-7340

Mikayla Whitmore presents dark, enigmatic panoramic photographs of urban rooms and landscapes that stir emotions in her upcoming exhibition at the Winchester Gallery. Whitmore is fascinated by memory, in how our minds record and file away seemingly insignificant details, in how we cling to, layer, and ultimately reimagine our lived experience through memory. Whitmore describes these photographs as images that intertwine obscure moments in an attempt “to form a memory”. Each photograph is composed of multiple images from a vast range of locales, both near and remote. The artist uses the dramatic darks of the tableaus to create seamless overlaps while forgoing heavy photoshop manipulation. Disparate elements somehow make sense through their strangeness and visually seduce the viewer through color, composition, texture and storylines which are guided by Whitmore, but ultimately left to the invention and personal database of the viewer. The artist says, “We pass by overlooked objects until something alters our perception. Individual memories fall by the wayside, figments merge together; dreams become possible, truth no longer cemented by fact.”

Marlene Siu

Mikayla Whitmore’s photographic exhibition, “Forever No More,” presents the viewer with psychologically intriguing and visually seductive images. The seemingly seamless layers causes the viewer to question where one location ends and the next begins, providing the viewer with a dream-like consciousness.

About the Artist:

Mikayla Whitmore was born and raised in Las Vegas. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2010. She has exhibited and curated at multiple venues in Clark County, including the Winchester Gallery, Contemporary Arts Center, and the Marjorie Barrick Museum. In 2010, following her undergraduate work, she studied abroad for a semester at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Spain. Her work explores the potential of the photographic image. She currently balances her studio practice with work as a concierge on the Las Vegas strip, and most recently presented new work in a solo exhibit at Kleven Contemporary in downtown Las Vegas and was awarded a 2012 NAC Jackpot grant.

ArtsVegas: Covering Las Vegas Art and culture since 2009.

Written by Checko Salgado

Checko Salgado was born in a log cabin casino in Las Vegas, NV. He is a photographer, instructor, designer, type geek, video jockey and full- time father. He has been in punk bands since he was 15 and loves all types of music (except New Country and Top 40). When he grows up he wants to be a fireman on Mars.