Elizabeth Moran's "Against the Best Possible Sources" Opens

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

KHN Alum (2015) Elizabeth Moran announces the opening of her show, Against the Best Possible Sources, on view through December 20th at Southern Methodist University's Hawn Gallery in Dallas, Texas.

Against the Best Possible Sources

curated by Olivia Smith, on view through December 20, 2019

Hawn Gallery
Southern Methodist University’s Hamon Arts Library
6100 Hillcrest Avenue
Dallas, Texas

"This exhibition presents another chapter of my ongoing research of the TIME, Inc. corporate archive and my investigation of the earliest history of the first professional journalistic fact-checkers, a role created by TIME in 1923 and held exclusively by women until 1971. Few first-person accounts of the women’s experiences remain. Instead, the majority of their stories are found only through internal correspondences with their male colleagues still preserved in the company’s archives—a sustained male gaze through which the women and their work was seen, recorded, and mythologized.

For this site specific installation, I recomposed these questionable, secondary sources creating a new narrative that is both unreliable but also the most comprehensive account of the first fact-checkers that exists today. "Against the Best Possible Sources" consists of decommissioned library shelves sourced from SMU’s Hamon Arts Library, decommissioned library books, dye-sublimation printed steel bookends, stamped photocopies created by TIME, Inc. archive librarians, and a decommissioned Kodak Carousel 860H slide projector with eighty 35mm slides. The accompanying audio piece utilizes creative nonfiction strategies including a newly commissioned musical duet to unveil the simultaneous presence and absence of these women and their contribution to modern journalism.

As an addendum to the site-specific installation in SMU’s Hawn Gallery, two sets of recently decommissioned library shelves sourced from the Hamon Arts Library are re-presented within the library itself. These former library stacks, emptied of the books they once held, display markings left by the movement of the volumes’ colorful waxed library binding—found drawings revealed only through the books’ removal. These abstract drawings were created by librarians as the books were pulled, shuffled, and re-shelved over the course of 40-years." (via Elizabeth Moran / newsletter)

Journalist Lee Cullum reviewed the exhibition and Moran's research for The Dallas Morning News (see link below).

Elizabeth Moran's upcoming solo and group exhibitions

TIME will tell

Massimo Ligreggi Gallery
Via Indaco, 23
Catania, Italy

Opens November 15, 2019
Exhibition continues until January 15, 2020

Artissima Art Fair

with Massimo Ligreggi Gallery via Giacomo Mattè Trucco, 70
Turin, Italy

On view November 1–3, 2019

Lishui Photography Festival
curated by Vanessa Kowalski

Lishui Art Museum
No. 561 Renmin Road
Lishui, China

On view November 8–12, 2019

SALLY
curated by Sasha Chavchavadze & JoAnne McFarland

Artpoetica
543 Union Street, Studio 2B
Brooklyn, New York

On view through January 26, 2020

Congratulatons, Elizabeth!

Dallas News Review of “Elizabeth Moran: Against the Best Possible Sources”

Against the Best Possible Sources via Elizabeth Moran's website

What the Artists are Saying...

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My favorite aspect of the residency was the undistracted, solitary time to work! My studio (#2) was wonderful with both the natural and track lighting and the garage door.

Myszka Lewis

Visual Artist, 2018 — Madison, WI

There's so much I like! I like the intimate nature of the residency and how the very excellent alone time is balanced with just a bit of togetherness with the organized lunch and invites to some stuff in town. I love the Third Thursday open house.

Betsy Andrews

Writer, 2018 — Brooklyn, NY

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Hannah Newman

Visual Artist, 2018 — Springfield, MO

The Staff was very supportive, it was easy to reach out and discuss anything. The facilities are also very comfortable, and the environment is great for working.

Jayoung Yoon

Visual Artist, 2018 — Beacon, NY

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Sonia Scherr

Writer, 2018 — Norwich, VT

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Katy Mixon

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Kory Reeder

Composer, 2017 — Kearney, NE

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Kari Varner

Visual Artist, 2017 — University City, MO

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Lauren W. Westerfield

Writer, 2017 — Moscow, ID

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Gary Peter

Writer, 2017 — St. Paul, MN

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Jonathan Russ

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Visual Artist, 2017 — Philadelphia, PA

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Writer, 2012 — Los Angeles, CA

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Visual Artist, 2013 — Omaha, NE

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Writer 2016 — Omaha, NE

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Elizabeth Moran's "Against the Best Possible Sources" Opens

Elizabeth Moran's "Against the Best Possible Sources" Opens

What the Artists are Saying...

THE KIMMEL COMMUNITY