How do artists respond to the chaos of our world? By retreating into the controlled environment of the studio, or by venturing out in search of inspiration? Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing political polarization, these questions seem more urgent than ever before.

Controlling the Chaos features photographs from Carnegie Museum of Art’s collection that offer a range of responses to the complexity of lived experience today. Some artists use abstraction as a tool to slow down our looking and encourage deeper connections with what we see; others focus on the human body, often their own, presenting it as a landscape that has witnessed trauma to which others might relate. Many of these photographs were made by artists who are from or live in Pittsburgh, offering a local perspective on global concerns. These pictures prompt us to look differently at our surroundings and, perhaps, find meaning in chaos.

Artists in the Exhibition

Controlling the Chaos is organized by Dan Leers, curator of photography.