Alyson Denny makes abstract photographic images. She manipulates light—bends it, blocks it, programs it, mixes its colors—and then captures that altered light to make both still and moving images.
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In the fall of 2023, her moving images were featured on the largest outdoor screen in the Southeast in the inaugural screening of OffTheWall@725Ponce, a new showcase for film and video art from around the world. And in 2024 they were the final event of the NextNowFest at the University of Maryland. Her moving images have been commissioned for two residential installations, and Half & Half & Honey now resides permanently in the lobby of Radian Boston’s residential tower.
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Photo: Stan Schnier
Her still photography has been exhibited widely, and reviewed in the New Yorker and the New York Times. In addition, it was featured in Harpers Magazine and on the cover of the fifth edition of the textbook Exploring Color Photography.
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Since 2008 Alyson has been a member of the legendary Joshua Light Show. She has performed everything from the iconic liquid light to state-of-the-art VJ projections, working with an eclectic group of musicians including Terry Riley, Lou Reed, John Zorn, MGMT, and Oneohtrix Point Never.
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Alyson studied physics and filmmaking at Harvard, where her thesis film, Saturday Afternoon, was awarded summa cum laude and the Hoopes Prize for outstanding undergraduate thesis work. She is currently on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts, NYC, where she teaches Light Lab, a course she designed to explore the artistic potential of experimental lighting in photography and video.
Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
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Video interviews:
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Video interview by Lyn Godley (done for the Waiting Room exhibit at HOTBED Gallery):
https://players.brightcove.net/3303963089001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6311949818112
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Video interview by Zachary Keeting and Chris Joy (done for their video series Gorky's Granddaughter):
http://www.gorkysgranddaughter.com/2017/11/alyson-denny-oct-2017.html