Dave Jordano

Artist Bio

Dave Jordano is a photographer working in Chicago.  In the past decade Jordano, working with a large format view camera, has explored the culture of African-American storefront churches dotting the south and west side neighborhoods of Chicago.  Often centers of the community, these sacred spaces offer comfort, hope, and connectedness for church-goers who have to bear the burden of living in a harsh inner-city environment riddled with crime, drugs, gangs, prostitution and broken families. 

Creating the cornerstone for spiritual, moral and intellectual strength, the storefront churches are infused with deep undercurrents of all the tradition, history, memory and love the practice of faith allows.

In contrast to his photographs depicting Chicago’s storefront churches celebrating the deep faith of inner city neighborhoods, Jordano has been making photographs of another symbol of American culture, the industrial-military complex.

The Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois was formerly the largest single military building in the United States before the construction of the Pentagon. The base closure has become a symbol of the economic decline suffered by Rantoul and the surrounding region. For the past 14 years it has been left to lay waste to the elements. Riddled with black mold, lead paint and asbestos, the site has fallen so far into disrepair that it has all the markings of an environmental hazard.

Jordano’s photographs of the faded and crumbling walls questions our role as a militaristic world power. The once beautiful hand painted wall murals by our servicemen, emblematic of their patriotism and pride in service to our country, have steadily decayed and eroded over time mirroring the public sentiment the rest of the world regards our policies of global policing.

Education

1974 B.F.A. Photography, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan

Solo Exhibits

2009
-Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL.  Articles of Faith, African-American Community Churches of Chicago

2008
-Historic Water Tower City Gallery of Photography, Chicago, IL. Images from the 2002-03 Marktown Project

2007
-Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Milwaukee, WI.  Recent Work from the Prairieland Project

-Brickton Art Center, Park Ridge, IL.  Simple Faith, African-American Community Churches of Chicago

-Sol Mednick Gallery, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA. Simple Faith, African-American Community Churches of Chicago

2006
-Irene Carlson Gallery, Simple Faith, African-American Community Churches of Chicago. University of La Verne, La Verne, CA

Group Exhibitions

2008
-Glimpses in Time, Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA curated by  Stephen Wirtz.

-Rooke Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa.  6 X 6. International Juried competition, six images each by six photographers.  Traveling show to Europe and the United States during 2008.

-Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL “Beyond the Backyard”, Curated by Karen Irvine.

-Toledo Friends of Photography National Juried Photography Exhibition, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.  Juried by Todd Hido.

-The Art of Photography International Photography Competition, San Diego, CA. Juried by Dr. Carol McCusker, curator, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA.  12,200 entries form 46 countries.  Only 102 pieces selected.

2007
-Up & Now, Photographic Center Northwest’s 12th Annual Photographic Competition. Seattle, Washington, chosen by Charlotte Cotton, Department Head and Curator of Photography at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

2006
-Toledo Friends of Photography National Juried Photography Exhibition, Toledo, OH, chosen by Kathy Vargas

-Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL

2005
-Houston Center for Photography Annual Membership Competition, Houston TX.  Curator’s Choice Award, chosen by Karen Irvine, Curator, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL

-Place(meant), Recent Photography from Midwestern Photographers, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI

-Photography Center Northwest Annual Membership Competition. Seattle, WA. Honorable Mention.  Chosen by Marita Holdaway

2003
-Houston Center for Photography Long Term Photography Project Competition, Houston, TX.  Honorable Mention, Marktown Project

Awards & Recognition

2007
-Community Arts Assistance Grant, Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Chicago, Illinois Council for the Arts

2006
-Finalist, Critical Mass National Book Award, Portland, OR

-Jury Selection, Santa Fe Portfolio Review, Santa Fe, NM

-Jury Selection, Photography Now – 100 Portfolios, Wright State University, an international competition of over 1200 entries, Dayton, OH

-Jury Selection, Photo Review International Photography Competition, chosen by
Philip Brookman, Senior Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art, College of Art Design, Washington, DC.  98 selected out of over 1300 entries.

Book Publications

2009
-Articles of Faith, African American Community  Churches of Chicago published by The Center for American Places with a forward by Carla Williams.
-Assembled Works, Photographs by Dave Jordano, published by Paper Mirror Press 2003
-Lenswork Magazine, featured portfolio 2004

Work History:  Owned and operated a highly successful award winning freelance commercial photography studio in Chicago specializing in food and product advertising.  Short list of clients include, Starbucks Coffee, Crate & Barrel, General Mills, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s, Wilson Sporting Goods, Sears, Quaker Foods, Dove, Kraft Foods, Suave , Timex, etc.

URL:  www.davejordanophotography.com