“Where Children Sleep: Photographs by James Mollison" at the Muscatine Art Center -- through August 21.

Through Sunday, August 21

Muscatine Art Center; 1314 Mulberry Avenue, Muscatine IA

An artistic exploration into the lives of children raised in many different kids of circumstances, the Muscatine Art Center's new exhibition Where Children Sleep: Photographs by James Mollison will be on display through August 21, and stands as a revealing series of photos that share the diverse stories of youths living in different countries around the globe.

Exhibit photographer Mollison was born in Kenya in 1973 and grew up in England. After studying art and design at Oxford Brookes University, and later film and photography at Newport School of Art and Design, he moved to Italy to work at Benetton’s creative lab Fabrica. Since August of 2011, Mollison has been working as a creative editor on Colors Magazine with Patrick Waterhouse, and in 2009, he won the Royal Photographic Society’s Vic Odden Award, a citation presented for notable achievement in the art of photography by a British talent aged 35 or under. His work has also been widely published throughout the world, including in the New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The Paris Review, GQ, New York Magazine, and Le Monde.

In Mollison's Where Children Sleep series, each studio-style portrait is accompanied by a detailed study of the child’s “bedroom,” which can range from elaborate sanctuaries to the barest spaces set aside for sleep. The photographs and their related text panels convey the story of childhood including insecurity, hope, pain, comfort, and doubt. Additionally, economic inequality, children’s rights, and how we are defined by our possessions and formed by our circumstances are some of the complex social, typological, and cultural issues that resonate in Mollison’s work.

“Where Children Sleep: Photographs by James Mollison,” May 26 through August 21

As the artist explained, “When I was asked to come up with an idea for engaging with children’s rights, I found myself thinking about my bedroom: how significant it was during my childhood, and how it reflected what I had and who I was. It occurred to me that a way to address some of the complex situations and social issues affecting children would be to look at the bedrooms of children in all kinds of different circumstances. From the start, I didn’t want it just to be about ‘needy children’ in the developing world, but rather something more inclusive." The consequent project was originally titled Bedrooms, but Mollison realized that the experience of having a “bedroom” did not apply to many of the children. As Mollison noted, “Millions of families around the world sleep together in one room, and millions of children sleep in a space of convenience, rather than a place they can in any sense call their room. I came to appreciate just how privileged I am to have had a personal kingdom to sleep in and grow.”

Muscatine Art Center Director Melanie Alexander explained that Where Children Sleep was really created with upper-elementary and middle-school students in mind. “In selecting this exhibition," she states, "we hope children from the Muscatine area will become curious about the lives of children who are growing up in other countries and under much different circumstances. The use of bedroom pictures makes it possible to imagine aspects of each child’s daily life. I think both children and adults will find the portraits, photographs of bedrooms, and accompanying descriptions fascinating. I hope the exhibition will encourage people to reflect on the experiences of others and become more curious about our world."

Where Children Sleep: Photographs by James Mollison will be on display through August 21, and regular gallery hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. While admission is free, donations are appreciated, and more information is available by calling (563)263-8282 and visiting MuscatineArtCenter.org.

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