“Winning The White House: From Press Prints To Selfies” Revolves Around Presidential Candidates’ Public Personas

The Southampton Arts Center (SAC) will showcase Winning the White House: From Press Prints to Selfies, presented by the International Center of Photography (ICP), Saturday, August 6th through Sunday, September 11th. The exhibition will explore the impact of photography on election years, and SAC will host an opening reception on Saturday, August 6th from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Official portraits, campaign ads, selfies, and televised debates will be among featured works, and it is evident that images have and will continue to play an important role in every presidential campaign.

“Since the time of Abraham Lincoln through the present day, presidential candidates have used photographic imagery in their campaigns to impact public opinion,” explained Claartje van Dijk, Assistant Curator of ICP. “While staged and curated press prints have historically been the tools of choice for candidates to reach and perform for their electorate, the delivery method has shifted from print publications to broadcast to computer and mobile phone screens—and the imagery has become more personal, more immediate and seemingly more off-the-cuff. With Winning the White House, we examine that evolution and put it side to side with the screened selection of campaign images.”

A photo of Donald Trump by Chris Buck.

Winning the White House: From Press Prints to Selfies provides a thought-provoking and unique twist on the way many look at politics. The timely exhibition will cover works by Cornell Capa, Grey Villet, Elliot Erwitt, Mark Bussell, Chris Buck, Stephen Crowley, Ken Light, Mark Peterson, Antoni Muntadas, Bill Eppridge, and Marshall Reese. There will be campaign ephemera, posters, and video materials created for candidates like John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump.

So why incorporate the modern-day selfie? “While professional press photographers continue to cover every campaign stop for major media outlets like their predecessors, they are now joined by thousands of amateur photographers,” added Susan Carlson, Assistant Curator of ICP and van Dijk’s co-curator for Winning the White House. “With the rise of smart-phone technology and the rapid rate at which images are released on social media, the 2016 campaigns are seeing an even greater demand for visual content. This provides us with a timely opportunity to explore photography’s significant role in elections.”

Senator Robert F. Kennedy campaigning in Sioux City, Iowa, 1966. (Photo: Bill Eppridge)

The curators and selected artists will also host an informative gallery talk on Sunday, August 7th at 11 a.m. Admission is free and all are encouraged to attend.

The gallery is open Thursday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to Winning the White House: From Press Prints to Selfies is also free.

Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. For more information, call 631-283-0967 or visit southamptonartscenter.org.