Daniel Farnum

Hangout Spot (2014)

Statement:
Rumbleville, Tulsa, OK:
Drawing inspiration from S.E. Hinton’s literary characterizations of teenagers and young adults in Tulsa, the documentary photographs in Rumbleville capture a contemporary depiction of adolescent maturation in the same disadvantaged neighborhoods used in books such as The Outsiders and Rumble Fish. My photographic exploration fluctuates between past and present day socioeconomic challenges evident in the city’s nostalgic identity. The architecture and landscape surrounding the people in my images act as a backdrop that suggests Tulsa’s connection to 1950’s and 1960’s Americana, while also addressing the lingering effects of rooted class divisions still apparent in the city’s urban neighborhoods. I specifically focus on teenagers and young adults in these fringe locations. The photographs in Rumbleville bring you closer to a new generation of residents in a community that are often misrepresented, typecast, and restricted by antiquated stereotypes.

Bio:
Daniel Farnum was born and raised in the blue-collar town of Saginaw, Michigan. His photographs address the American experience, landscape, and culture and have been showcased nationally in several exhibitions and galleries in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York.

He is the recipient of many notable awards such as Best in Show in the Midwest Contemporary exhibition from Natasha Egan and Karen Irvine at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, an award from Ann Pallesen at Photo Center Northwest in Seattle, two prizes from the Paul Sack Architectural Photography Contest at the San Francisco Art Institute, and the Juror’s Selection Award given by Christopher Rauschenberg in an exhibition at the Center for Fine Art Photography. Daniel also received an award in a show titled Landscape Interrupted by William Jenkins, who was responsible for the New Topographics exhibition while curator of the International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House.

Daniel’s prints have previously been exhibited at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Black Box Gallery in Portland, Root Division in San Francisco, and at the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies in NYC. Daniel’s photographs have also been featured in multiple solo exhibitions in venues such as the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, University of Wisconsin, and at Alibi Fine Art in Chicago.

Daniel received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and BFA from the University of Michigan. He is currently an Assistant Professor at The University of Tulsa.

Artist’s Website: danielfarnum.com