Bruce Silverstein Gallery
In Sequence
G R O U P S U M M E R E X H I B I T I O N
J U N E 2 6 T H , 2 0 2 5 - A U G U S T 2 9 T H , 2 0 2 5
529 West 20th Street
4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-627-3930
Fax: 212-691-5509
Email: [email protected]
Man Ray, L’etoile de mer, 1928
brucesilverstein.com/exhibitions/219-in-sequence/overview/Bruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to present In Sequence, a group exhibition that brings together the works of
Adger Cowans, Elger Esser, Todd Hido, Dakota Mace, Barbara Morgan, Ed Ruscha, Larry Silver, Keith A. Smith,
Eve Sonneman, Francesca Woodman, and others to explore how sequencing engages rhythmic, spatial, and
compositional strategies to shape narrative, guide perception, or elicit emotion. This exhibition considers how
visual sequences structure time and transform the image from a static object into an active participant in a story,
building tension, resonance, and pace as the viewer’s attention moves across and beyond the frame.
Since the early 20th century, photography has been associated with the decisive moment, defined by Henri Cartier-
Bresson as the “simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a
precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression”, or simply, the singular instant arrested
from the flow of time. In Sequence proposes an alternative framework, one that sees meaning in photography as
unfolding through sequences. Extending beyond a simple linear progression of images, this approach suggests
that sequencing functions as a deeper structural and conceptual mode akin to the temporal arts of music and
poetry.
For Keith A. Smith, the sequence operates as a visual language. In his artist’s books, the act of flipping through
pages becomes a performance—a rhythm of disjointed images coalescing into a unified whole, only to collapse
again as the narrative unfolds. Like a poem or a musical piece, meaning emerges through rhythm and repetition,
inviting the viewer to inhabit the roles of reader, listener, and performer simultaneously. These formal strategies
are also visible in Barbara Morgan’s iconic dance studies. The images do not merely document movement; they
function like a dance performance, transforming still images into a kinetic experience.
Adger Cowans, Elger Esser, Todd Hido, Dakota Mace, Barbara Morgan, Ed Ruscha, Larry Silver, Keith A. Smith,
Eve Sonneman, Francesca Woodman, and others to explore how sequencing engages rhythmic, spatial, and
compositional strategies to shape narrative, guide perception, or elicit emotion. This exhibition considers how
visual sequences structure time and transform the image from a static object into an active participant in a story,
building tension, resonance, and pace as the viewer’s attention moves across and beyond the frame.
Since the early 20th century, photography has been associated with the decisive moment, defined by Henri Cartier-
Bresson as the “simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a
precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression”, or simply, the singular instant arrested
from the flow of time. In Sequence proposes an alternative framework, one that sees meaning in photography as
unfolding through sequences. Extending beyond a simple linear progression of images, this approach suggests
that sequencing functions as a deeper structural and conceptual mode akin to the temporal arts of music and
poetry.
For Keith A. Smith, the sequence operates as a visual language. In his artist’s books, the act of flipping through
pages becomes a performance—a rhythm of disjointed images coalescing into a unified whole, only to collapse
again as the narrative unfolds. Like a poem or a musical piece, meaning emerges through rhythm and repetition,
inviting the viewer to inhabit the roles of reader, listener, and performer simultaneously. These formal strategies
are also visible in Barbara Morgan’s iconic dance studies. The images do not merely document movement; they
function like a dance performance, transforming still images into a kinetic experience.
Francesca Woodman (1958-1981)
Self-Portrait with Fur Hat, Knit Scarf, and Mary Jane Shoe, 1976-1977
Six vintage contact prints, printed c. 1976-1977
8 x 10 in (20.3 x 25.4 cm)
Self-Portrait with Fur Hat, Knit Scarf, and Mary Jane Shoe, 1976-1977
Six vintage contact prints, printed c. 1976-1977
8 x 10 in (20.3 x 25.4 cm)
Bruce Silverstein Gallery
In Sequence
G R O U P S U M M E R E X H I B I T I O N
J U N E 2 6 T H , 2 0 2 5 - A U G U S T 2 9 T H , 2 0 2 5
529 West 20th Street
4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-627-3930
Fax: 212-691-5509
Email: [email protected]
In Sequence
G R O U P S U M M E R E X H I B I T I O N
J U N E 2 6 T H , 2 0 2 5 - A U G U S T 2 9 T H , 2 0 2 5
529 West 20th Street
4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-627-3930
Fax: 212-691-5509
Email: [email protected]