Five Stories
CRISTINA DE MIDDEL
January 9 - February 21, 2015
Shelby Lee Adams, Steve and Francis
Five Stories includes photographs from five bodies of De Middel’s work over the last five years. Starting out as a photojournalist, De Middel’s approach expands on the documentary platform to integrate fact and fiction through imaginative visual narratives.
Poly Spam, De Middel’s first project veering from journalism, features fabricated portraits of people who send spam mail. This work was exhibited, and met with critical acclaim, at the PhotoEspaña festival in Madrid, Spain 2009. Continuing in this vein, De Middel serendipitously began research on the top 10 strangest experiments from the 1960s and uncovered the Zambian Space Project. This led to her internationally renowned series, The Afronauts, in which she visually recreates the story of Edward Makuka Nkoloso, the founder of Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy as he instituted a mission to send the first African Astronaut into outer space. These two series, along with The Party, Snap Finger & Whistle and Antipodes will offer a comprehensive look at this important 21st century photographer.
De Middel has received numerous awards and recognition for her fine art photography. In 2012 she was a finalist for the First Book Prize, Aperture/Paris Photo, and in 2013 she was recognized as a Deutsche Börse finalist and received the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography. Originally from Alicante, Spain, De Middel currently lives and works in London.
Cristina De Middel, Umfundi, from The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 39 x 39 inches
Cristina De Middel, Mbulumbublu, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 15 x 15 inches
Cristina De Middel, Ukulalana, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 39 x 39 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, Butungabai, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, Butungakuna, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, Hamba, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 12 inches.
Cristina De Middel, Yinqaba, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 39 x 39 inches.
Cristina De Middel, Lala Kale, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, Bongo, from the series, The Afronauts, 2012. Archival Pigment Print, 39 x 39 inches.
Cristina De Middel, #40 "Monsters," from the series, The Party, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 20 x 33.5 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, #185 “Fight the Enemy,” from the series, The Party, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 20 x 33.5 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, #17 “No Relax,” from the series, The Party, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 20 x 33.5 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, #1 “Party,” from the series, The Party, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 20 x 33.5 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, #161 “Exuberant Bodies,” from the series, The Party, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 20 x 33.5 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, #57 “Change the Enemy,” from the series, The Party, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 20 x 33.5 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Barrister Fagbemi Lateef,” from the series, Poly Spam, 2011. Archival Pigment Print, 28 x 54 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Grace Smith,” from the series, Poly Spam, 2011. Archival Pigment Print, 28 x 54 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Sandrine Nzi,” from the series, Poly Spam, 2011. Archival Pigment Print, 28 x 54 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Alesia Atolevna Markina,” from the series, Poly Spam, 2011. Archival Pigment Print, 28 x 54 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Maggot,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 16 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Golfimbul,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 16 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Radagast,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 16 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Bombur,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 16 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Netyiri,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 12 x 16 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Gimli,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 16 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Erestor,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 16 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Bilbo,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 16 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Baggins,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 16 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
Cristina De Middel, “Dawlins,” from the series, Antipodes, 2014. Archival Pigment Print, 16 x 12 inches. Courtesy of Dillon Gallery, New York
