Blurring the line between art and technology and putting the social back in social media is all taking place in a transformed slaughterhouse. SlaughterhouseSpace was an active abattoir until 1998 when Peter and Pat Lenz purchased it and closed the business. Although the property is home to a winery and studio, the building has not lost the aura of its previous purpose. With amazing light and shadows cascading down concrete walls, giant hoists, and 30foot high ceilings, the slaughterhouse is a photographer's dream location. One of the artists featured in this show, Susan Spann, photographed the interior of the building immediately after it was sold to the Lenzes. Her hauntingly beautiful series was the inspiration to make SlaughterhouseSpace available for a limited time to more than 20 other photographers. The show IMBY| In My Backyard is the result of this project. In April, Melissa Kester spent two chilly nights filming Pity The Beautiful, her interpretation of Dana Gioia's poem. Margeaux Walter, Caitlin McCaffrey, Tod Brilliant, Hugh Livingston, Morna Livingston, and Alice Warnecke have all been inspired by the building and its history to produce works in his or her own unique style. Jordan Essoe, whose association with SlaughterhouseSpace includes curating three performance festivals, will be giving a live performance during the opening reception. IMBY has already come to life with an Instagram meet-up in July. Photographers of all stripes, including stylists, radio dispatchers, techno newbies, and app designers, have brought their professional cameras, iPhones, mobile devices, models, and props to realize this project. In early August, members of Becoming Independent used their Holgas and Holga pinhole cameras to capture their vision. As cameras continue to evolve and transform, storytelling still remains at the heart of most great images. However, which devices captured them is becoming more unknown and perhaps even irrelevant. Artist Erik Castro said "I never missed the darkroom once these amazing tools were created."
We want to invite members of the community of all ages and skills to take part in the story by participating in the event via Instagram throughout the show. By using a smart device, they can upload photos to Instagram with the hashtag #imbysh to be part of the larger story about creativity and the photographic process.

List of Participating Artists

For information about IMBY: In My Back Yard (The Sonoma County Museum as Subject)

Press Release

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