Direct Object #03 by Jon Sheridan

Since we've postponed the announcement of the 2009 Second Edition Hot Shots to December 18th, that gives us ample opportunity to continue blogging about the impressive contenders that have entered this round. Keep checking back here, on Flickr and on Facebook to see their work over the next few weeks.

Today we take a look at contender Jon Sheridan. Jon makes a syntactic analogy with photography in his series Direct Objects: "In language, the verb acts upon the direct object. Here, the interventions of my photography act upon the direct objects in the picture," he says. Using a "forensic" approach, Jon seeks out quotidian items found at construction sites, loading docks and smoke-break corners. These Direct Objects are lit and grounded to emphasize that favorite quality of cultural theorists, their "thingness." Here, this impermanent coffee cup emerges as a uniquely sculptural object among the hard, angular wall and electricity boxes.

We wrote about Jon's series How to Fix a Campground here on the blog during the last round of competition, and you can also see more at his website.