¹û½´ÊÓƵ

Miles Coolidge, born in Montreal, Canada, is a photographer based in Los Angeles, California. His academic background, including a BA from Harvard (1986) and an MFA in photography from CalArts (1992), was strongly influenced by his study under German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, whose systematic documentation of industrial structures and conceptual approach to "anonymous sculpture" shaped Coolidge's visual methodology. His artistic practice presents urban landscape photography that often subverts typical expectations, challenging conventional representation by appearing flat, emphasizing geometric shapes, and revealing ironies in urban planning. He captures the mundane, transforming unremarkable structures into subjects of contemplation. Beyond contemporary urban spaces, Coolidge views the world through a historical lens, as evident in his "Indian Mound Postcards" series, where he recontextualizes vintage photos by upscaling them to highlight their often-overlooked historical significance. Through this series, Coolidge encourages viewers to reconsider their perceptions of both modern landscapes and historical sites, prompting deeper engagement with embedded meanings. His work subtly critiques conventional documentation, pushing photographic boundaries by focusing on repetition, typology, and the quiet power of the ordinary, promoting a critical understanding of our surroundings and revealing hidden structures, historical echoes, and complexities.

The artist biographies for Witness Nothing were collaboratively written by curatorial interns Julyet Carillo and Elisa Leyva, with the oversight of Henry Schulte Assistant Curator of Practice. The content was compiled from a variety of sources, including personal websites, institutional biographies, critical essays, artist interviews, and exhibition texts. A comprehensive bibliography of all sources used is provided below. It is important to note that Gemini, a Google AI, was utilized in the editing process to condense and refine the initial drafts into more concise paragraphs, using the prompt: "Use the following information to shorten each artist bio to one paragraph.”  

Bibliography