Photographic Ontologies
A solo exhibition by Alana Green
Otis College of Art and Design is proud to present PHOTOGRAPHIC ONTOLOGIES, an exhibition by MFA Fine Arts candidate Alana Green.
PHOTOGRAPHIC ONTOLOGIES is a collection of photographs and an experience of human-made worlds within a larger natural world. It is both an index and a witnessing of the deterioration of our environment; including the natural environment and the city environment of Los Angeles.
By employing a childlike sense of urban exploration, PHOTOGRAPHIC ONTOLOGIES is a visual reminder of slowness and stillness. To paraphrase Imani Perry, slow work is a necessary counter to the demands of rapid production and scholarship. PHOTOGRAPHIC ONTOLOGIES is also a plea to viewers to question ownership; specifically, who demarcates property and why? In Vibrant Matter: The Political Ontology of Things, Jane Bennett proposes that humans and their actions participate in the environmental assemblages of the world. Over time, things change and fall apart, but remain in use until their function completely ceases to exist. PHOTOGRAPHIC ONTOLOGIES is an observation of the real time visual remnants of the manmade destruction caused by the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025. Largely only visible in restricted areas, at least on the west side of town, this destruction is both remembered and forgotten by the city’s process of healing.
Through the use of an actual camera as the main medium, PHOTOGRAPHIC ONTOLOGIES challenges contemporary views of visual culture. Larger than life photographs in this exhibition are domineering, both in their final printed form and in their sharper-than-human eyesight photographic form. Thank you for looking.
About the Artist
Alana Green (born 1996) is a photographer and filmmaker originally from Orange County, California, and shaped by Eugene, Oregon, San Francisco, and Nashville, Tennessee. Alana holds a Bachelor of Arts in Curriculum Design and Gender Studies from the University of Oregon. Alana is currently based in Los Angeles, California, and will receive a Master of Fine Arts degree from Otis College of Art and Design in the Spring of 2026.
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Installation ViewAlana Green
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |
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Installation ViewAlana Green |