What’s New in Photography: Anything but Photos

By PHILIP GEFTER @ NY Times

In New York City, a vast number of commercial galleries show photographs. Many of them represent photography exclusively; some show photo-based art that incorporates other mediums; others are galleries that represent painters and sculptors primarily but also include a handful of photographers. But in the last few years, some of the most famous and long-standing photography galleries have begun mixing nonphotographic work in with their primary offerings.

It may not be a revolution, but it is a significant change in the gallery landscape. These are the places that helped to establish photography’s viability as an art form as well as to create a business model. Having proven their point, they are now at liberty to experiment.

There is an unofficial hierarchy among photo galleries, and the oldest tend to be at the top of the heap. Many of those have featured photographers who over the years have earned a place in the medium’s canon — sometimes because of their dealers’ efforts.

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