Daydream in Memories of Youth & The Grammar of Possibility
Installation view from Daydream in Memories of Youth, by Stephanie Duprie Routh
The exhibition titled, Daydream in Memories of Youth, consists of a series of nineteen photographs by Austin-based artist Stephanie Duprie Routh. She describes the work as a collection of memories, nostalgia, identity, sensuality, and the folding of time.
The first image you see when you enter is “Youth” (shown below). It immediately brought to mind early works from Nan Goldin’s, Ballad of Sexual Dependency. There was a moodiness and a tone that drew me in, but on further inspection, it was apparent that the work carried far less heaviness than that of Goldin. Routh’s work is neither portraiture nor street photography, but similarly acts as a documentary of the artist.
Each image features the youthful female form in conversation with the artist’s own. Many of the subjects are women whom Routh met during her global travels. A shared moment with what had previously been strangers that we are now invited to share. They are sensual and provoke a dialogue between the figure, light, and surrounding elements.
Evaluating this as a series, Routh intends to explore her own nostalgia for a time when she derived power from her sensuality. The partial covering was particularly compelling for me as “a woman of a certain age”. To me, it felt symbolic of how women in particular feel a part of themselves disappearing from others’ gaze. What we share and what we hide away is more intentional.
All 19 images in the exhibit are one in-camera click, except one: Phoenix #1 is a multi-step process of re-photographing an altered print. It is the cornerstone of the sequel project Phoenix Rising.”
Curator Danielle Fox observes: “Routh’s approach to her subjects shows them as human beings with complex embodied feelings, including private feelings that may include, among many other things, vulnerability, sensuality, desire, a desire to be desired, a need for intimacy and belonging, and for being seen. Their role as the protagonists of their own stories defies simple objectification, and the layered and sometimes puzzling complexity of the photos draws viewers in to witness and even participate in a multitude of unfolding dramas.”
The exhibition was shown in the artist’s hometown of Austin as well as New York. In this iteration, the work was expertly curated into digestible groupings and includes intimate areas for viewing and discussion. The multimedia installation includes a makeshift video room with walls made of floor-to-ceiling images printed on transparent fabric. An accident based on a workman’s no-show adds to the openness and invitation to participate. There is also a seating area that acts as a library.
There are nineteen corresponding poems by Dalya Sachs, titled The Grammar of Possibility. The exhibit also includes a special scent called Carmin, made by Mexican artist Lula Curioca. Notes like skin folds, sweat, and rumpled sheets are meant to represent universal concepts of sensuality, beauty, and aging. Photos, poems, and scent samples are all in a hand-bound, limited-edition catalogue available for purchase.
Unlike Goldin’s Ballad of Sexual Dependency, this work is about sexual independence. In the words of Nan Goldin, “My work has been about making a record of my life that no one can revise.” We may not be able to turn back time, but we can revise how we celebrate ourselves as sensual, powerful, and ever-evolving. In my opinion, this collaborative work does just that.
Exhibition dates: September 6-27, 2025
Location: 1275 Minnesota Street, Gallery 107, San Francisco, CA.
Gallery hours: Tuesdays–Saturdays 12–5 pm
Curator: Danielle Fox, Fox Projects (SLATE contemporary Co-Director)
