J. K. Lavin is a visual artist based in Venice, California. Her decision to move there was based on the flip of a coin at the airport as she was returning home after visiting friends there. Lavin’s photographic practice considers memory, self-portraiture and the measurement of time. Duration, as well as experimentation with randomness and chance is an important dimension of her work.
Lavin received a Master’s Degree of Art in Photography from California State University at Fullerton, California. She has also studied photography at The Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York and The Center of the Eye in Aspen, Colorado.
J. K. Lavin has had numerous solo exhibitions including Photo London 2024. She was selected as a Critical Mass Finalist in 2020 and as a Fresh finalist by Klompching Gallery in 2019. Her work has been included in group exhibitions in Europe and throughout the United States. Lavin’s photographs have been published in various online and print magazines including The Boston Globe, Diffusion, Analog Forever, Lenscratch, Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books and What Will You Remember? Lavin’s work is held in public collections.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 Photo London 2024 Discovery Section, Somerset House, London, UK
2018 Crisis of Experience, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA
2016 Time, Memory and the Moon, Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
2015 Mapping the History of the Moon, Spot Photo Works, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Alta Vista Arts, Photo St. Germain, Paris, FR
2023 Portfolios, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
Jurors: Dennis Kiel, Michael Pannier, and Polly Gaillard
2023 MIA Photofair, Alta Vista Arts, Milan, IT
2023 Members’ Juried Exhibition, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA
Juror: Hamidah Glasgow
2023 Size Matters, San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery, San Diego, CA
Juror: C. Meier
2023 Night Lights, Month of Photography Denver, Denver, CO
Juror: Samantha Johnston
2022 Montgomery Photo Festival, Kress Building, Montgomery, AL Juror: Anna Walker Skillman
2022 Art and Nature, Museo De La Naturaleza De Cantabria, Cantabria, ES
Curator: Marisa Caichiolo
2022 Praxis Open, Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
Juror: Ann Jastrab
2022 Conversations with the Archive, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
Juror: Aline Smithson
2021 HERSTORY: Through the Feminine Lens, Building Bridges Art Exchange, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
Curator: Marisa Caichiolo
2021 Alternative Processes Online Exhibition, Soho Photo Gallery, New York, NY
Juror: Paula Tognarelli
2021 International Juried Exhibition, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA
Jurors: Debra Klomp Ching and Darren Ching
2021 Serendipitous Eye, LightBox Gallery, Astoria, OR
Juror: Melanie Walker
2021 2021 Members' Juried Exhibition, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA
Juror: Susan Burnstine
2021 SE Center Open, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
Juror: Doug Beasley
2020 26th Annual Juried Members’ Exhibition, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA
Juror: Alexa Dilworth
2020 PhotoSpiva 2020, Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, MO
Juror: April Watson
2020 CPA Members 2020 Juried Online Exhibition, Carmel, CA
Jurors: Ann Jastrab and Laura Sackett
2020 Portraits 2020, Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
Juror: Paula Tognarelli
2020 Portraits, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
Juror: Elizabeth Avedon
2020 Patterns and Shadows, New York Center for Photographic Art, Jadeite Gallery, New York, NY
Juror: Paula Tognarelli
2019 Dangerous Women II, Building Bridges Art Exchange, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
Curator: Marisa Caichiolo
2019 Fotofever 2019, Wall Space Creative, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
Curator: Crista Dix
2019 III, Filter Annual Members’ Exhibition, Fogelson Studio, Chicago, IL
Juror: Aline Smithson
2019 Women See Women, SE Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
Juror: Kat Kiernan
2019 LACP Sixth Annual Members' Exhibition, dnj Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Juror: Douglas McCulloh
2019 Fresh 2019 Finalists Online Exhibition, Klompching Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Jurors: Debra Klomp Ching and Darren Ching
2019 Member Exhibition, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
Juror: Cecily Cullen
2019 Light, SE Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
Juror: Richard McCabe
2019 6th Open Call Exhibition, Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, Providence, RI
Juror: Aline Smithson
2019 Building Bridges at Photo LA 2019, Barker Hanger, Santa Monica CA
Curator: Marisa Caicholo
2019 Contemporary Portraiture, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
Juror: Ann Jastrab
2018 The Contemporary Portrait, SE Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
Juror: Steve Diamond
2018 Annual Juried Exhibition, San Francisco Camerawork, San Francisco, CA
Jurors: Corey Keller and Sean McFarland
2018 Fifth Annual Members’ Exhibition, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles, CA
Juror: Catherine Couturier
2018 24th Annual Juried Members’ Exhibition, Griffin Museum, Winchester, MA
Juror: Richard McCabe
2018 Quién? Qué? Dónde?, Griffin Museum at Lafayette Center, Boston, MA
Curator: Paula Tognarelli
2018 Home, SE Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
Juror: Aline Smithson
2018 First Annual Members' Exhibition, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
Juror: Brian Paul Clamp
2018 Analogue Portrait Project, Month of Photography Los Angeles, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
2018 Los Angeles Art Show, Los Angeles Center of Photography Booth, Los Angeles CA
2018 Portraits 2018, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
Juror: Paul Martineau
2017 The Creative Portrait, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles, CA
Juror: Ann Jastrab
2017 Art Capitol, Fotofever, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2017 California Rising, Fabrik Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Eclipse, Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR
Juror: Chris Rauschenberg
2017 Fourth Annual Los Angeles Center of Photography Members' Exhibition, Virtual Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Juror: Paula Tognarelli
2017 Venice Art Walk Studio Tours, Venice, CA
2017 Fine Art, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles, CA
Juror: Crista Dix
2017 Fabrik Projects, Photo Independent, The Reef, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Of Memory, Bone & Myth, Colonel Eugene Myers Gallery of Art, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Juror: Aline Smithson
2017 PhotoLA, The Reef, Los Angeles, CA
2017 All Women Are Dangerous, Building Bridges Art Exchange, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
Curated by Marisa Caicholo & Chris Davies, co-curated by Daniel Alfonso
2016 Third Annual Los Angeles Center of Photography Members' Exhibition, DNJ Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Juror: January Parkos Arnall
2016 Fabrik Projects, Photo Independent, Raleigh Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Truth is Stranger than Fiction, Glassel Commons, Month of Photography Los Angeles, CA
2016 Red, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
2015 Fabrik Projects, Fotofever, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2015 Open: 2015, Amblewood Gallery, Chattahoochee Hills, GA
Juror: Anne Berry
2014 20th Juried Exhibition, Griffin Museum of Photography Virtual Gallery, Winchester, MA
2013 The Magic of Light, Photoplace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
2012 Visual Studies Workshop Auction Exhibition, Rochester, NY
2012 Of Memory, Bone & Myth, The Gallery at the Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN
Juror: Stephen Perloff
1998 Three Photographers, The Rose Cafe, Venice, CA
1985 Four in Glass, The Rose Cafe, Venice, CA
1984 The Urban Jungle, Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles, CA
1983 Center of the Eye Retrospective, Aspen Center for the Visual Arts, Aspen, CO
Curator: Alex Sweetman
1982 Inaugural Exhibition, Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles, CA
1982 Beyond Design-Neon and Poster Art, World Gallery, World Trade Center, Los Angeles, CA
1982 "When a woman ceases to alter the fashion of her hair…" Orange Coast College Photo Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA
1981 "When a woman ceases to alter the fashion of her hair…" Master’s Thesis Exhibition, California State University, Fullerton, CA
1981 Violence, A Photographic Exhibition, Cameravision, Los Angeles, CA
1980 Photographic Scale, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA
Curated by Marsha Red Adams
1979 Artists’ Books, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
1976 All Xerox, La Mamelle Gallery, San Francisco, CA
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA
Siskind Gallery, Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY
RECOGNITION
Honorable mention, 16th Annual International Color Awards
Best in Color, Montgomery Photo Festival, Montgomery, AL.
Critical Mass 2020 Finalist
Third Place Award, PhotoSpiva 2020, Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, MO
Third Place Award, Patterns and Shadows, New York Center for Photographic Art, New York, NY 2019
Fresh 2019 Finalist, Klompching Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Silver Medal, San Francisco Bay International Photo Show 2019
Silver Medal, San Francisco Bay International Photo Show 2018
Finalist, Annual Juried Exhibition 2018, San Francisco Camerawork Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Toast Award, First Annual Members' Exhibition, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Director's Honorable Mention, Portraits 2018, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Honorable Mention, Of Memory, Bone & Myth, Colonel Eugene Myers Gallery of Art, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 2017
PUBLICATIONS
One Twelve Publishing: Poignant Portfolio no. 39: J.K. Lavin, August 16, 2022
Diffusion, Volume X, Print Annual, February 2021
Analog Forever Featured Photographer: J. K. Lavin, September 26, 2020
Floatmagazine.com Interview with J. K. Lavin January 4, 2020
Lenscratch Blogzine, Photographers on Photographers: J. K. Lavin and Darryl Curran
Bokeh Bokeh: 2019 San Francisco Bay International Photo Show Silver Medal Award Winners
AnalogueForever.com: Private Document, April 2019
LosAngelesMagazine.com: The Best Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend, January 31, 2019
What Will You Remember? Photography Blog, Best Photo Picks January 2019 January 3, 2019
VoyageLA.com Meet J. K. Lavin December 18, 2018
Lenscratch, J. K. Lavin, Crisis of Experience, December 5, 2018
aphotoeditor.com The Best Work I Saw at The LACP Exposure Portfolio Review, September 21, 2018
Bokeh Bokeh: 2018 San Francisco Bay International Photo Show Silver Medal Award Winners
The Photo Review: 2017 Competition: The Human Condition
Floatphotomagazine.us/portfolios, July 13, 2017
What Will You Remember? Photography Blog, The Human Landscape Photolucida 2017, April 27, 2017
Blake Andrews Blogspot.com Monday, April 24, 2017 Photolucida
Paclosangles.com blog interview 2017/2/8 episode 3
Underexposed Magazine, Featured Artist, February 11, 2017
Los Angeles Review of Books, Featured Artist, September, 2016
Lenscratch, J. K. Lavin: Mapping the History of the Moon, July 16, 2015
Lensculture, J. K. Lavin: Standing on the Threshold, 2014
Lensculture, FotoFest Paris 2013: 128 Photographers/ 40 Countries, 2013
Lenscratch, J. K. Lavin: Standing on the Threshold, 2013
BOOKS
Portrait #24, April 2022, AAP Magazine, Photo.com
26th Juried Members Exhibition Catalogue, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA 2020
Dangerous Women II, Catalogue, Building Bridges Art Exchange, Santa Monica, CA 2020
Fresh 2019, Catalogue, Klompching Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 2019
Light, Catalogue, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC 2019
The Contemporary Portrait, Catalogue, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC 2019
24th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, Catalogue, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA 2018
Quién? Qué? Dónde?, Catalogue, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA 2018
Home, Catalogue, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC 2018
Eclipse, Catalogue, Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR 2017
Crisis of Experience, Artist Book, Venice CA 2017
Red, Catalogue, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX 2016
Truth is Stranger than Fiction, Catalogue, 2016
Mapping the History of the Moon, Los Angeles, CA 2014
Standing on the Threshold, Los Angeles, CA 2014
The Magic of Light, Catalogue, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT 2013
Night Light, Catalogue, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT 2012
Center of the Eye, Catalogue, Aspen Center for the Visual Arts, Aspen, CO 1983
All Xerox, Catalogue, La Mamelle Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1976
EDUCATION
Master of Arts, Photography, California State University at Fullerton, CA
Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY
Center of the Eye, Aspen, CO
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, MN