June 28th was the opening of Daesha Devon Harris' show at Yo Darkroom, a series of photographs on the theme of urban gentrification as it relates to African American teens.On exhibit are gorgeously presented diptychs consisting of a portrait of a young adult paired with a scene representing urban development...abandoned row houses for sale, construction sites, etc. Harris shot these with a Hasselblad, and the resulting square format images are hauntingly beautiful. There are very subtle color and compositional connections within the chosen pairs of photographs, such as one pair that consists of a young man wearing a yellow trimmed basketball jersey along side an image that includes two brightly painted yellow traffic barriers.



Harris did all the framing of these presentations herself, and the work is meticulously crafted. Each pair of photographs is mounted within a shadow box frame and screened over the glass of each set are the lyrics to a traditional Negro Spiritual. In the right light, the words of the lyrics cast shadows across the images, adding to the mood of the project.

This exhibit runs through August 24th, and should not be missed.

Yo Darkroom
113 N. 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 789-9032
Daesha Devon Harris : Until I Reach My Home.
Exhibit Details
June 28th to August 24th