WILL ADLER
Marquee. June 29 - July 12, 2020.
Will Adler is a 36 year old west coast photographer known primarily for his distinctive take on the surf world, but with a range that extends to many other areas. Over the last two months, he has been photographing the various marquee texts that have been posted on Southern California schools in and around Santa Barbara. Well aware of the tragic losses and the heroism of health care workers, Adler’s photographs take a different path to illustrate one of the many different aspects of life changed by the pandemic.
In the tradition of the New Topographic movement, Adler’s pictures focus with deadpan clarity on the signage that the schools have put up as a result of the Covid mandated closings. Supportive, encouraging, and gently didactic, the posted phrases engage with the crisis leaving the viewer to imagine children and teenagers stuck at home and the silent and empty classrooms, sports fields, and auditoriums. At a time of crisis and with the Covid virus surging it is a reminder that no-one is untouched.
Will Adler and the gallery will donate all proceeds from any “Marquee” sales to the BET + United Way Covid-19 Relief Fund. With Covid-19 disproportionately affecting African-Americans, this fund supports relief efforts in communities that have been most severely impacted by the pandemic.
To see Will Adler’s surf photography click here