"The ugly truth is, books are made of books."
Cormac McCarthy

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William Eggleston, Red Ceiling, 1973

Many artists aspire towards originality: to say something that has never been said, to photograph something as yet unseen. It is a worthy aspiration, however, the creative act does not occur in a vacuum.

The work we create emerges from a well of experiences, interactions, and references, often unconcious, that we have encounterd over our lifetime. In seeking to establish our own voice, the line between inspiration, reference, and theft blurs.

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Christian Patterson, Christmas Ceiling, 2002

Our next show, Reference Materials, explores these distinctions by asking photographers to review and address their source material.

Artists may submit work created in direct homage to a pre-existing photograph created between 1827 and 2000.

The submission must include an element of significiant differentiation from said source material, while still being recognizably from the same lineage. These works must cite the photographer in the title.

This call for entry is open from December 1st, 2025, until January 15th, 2026. Please carefully review the submission guidelines before entering the call. We look forward to working with you.

Submit your work.