AUSTIN IRVING
SHOW CAVES

SHOW CAVES is a collection of large format analog photographs that explores the anthropocentric tendencies of modern tourism seen in domestic and international show caves. Show Caves are natural caves managed by government or commercial organizations that have been modified to accommodate tourism. The objective of this body of work is to highlight the tension that exists between the natural beauty of caves and the renovations people make in order to transform these spaces into tourist attractions. These caverns have been curated to cater to both the physical needs of sightseers as well as to our collective expectation of the fantasy of a cave. Are these additions acts of vandalism disrupting a delicate eco-system for the sake of commercial profit? Or do these human interventions draw attention to the preservation of caves and make hard-to-access natural wonders readily available for appreciation?

Author
Austin Irving (b. 1984, NYC) is an award winning visual artist who works with large format analog photography. Irving graduated cum laude with a BFA from the Department of Photography and Imaging at NYU’s TISCH School Of The Arts in 2006. Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums in Hong Kong, India, Germany, Lithuania, France, and across the United States. She has participated in exhibitions at institutions such as MOCA, The Irvine Fine Arts Center, FMoPA, The International Photography Symposium, Virginia Tech, NY Center for Photographic Arts, and The Katonah Museum of Art. Her work has been the recipient of the Architecture Master Prize, Aesthetica Art Prize, MonoAwards, American Photography Competition, IPA, PX3, TIFA, and BIFA. Her images have been featured in The LA Times, Wired, Slate, Architectural Digest, LA Weekly, PDN, Artillery, TimeOut NY, Artsy, Voyage LA, Yatzer, and Artweek LA. Irving lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog, Kodak.

Website
www.austinirving.com

Instagram
@austin.irving

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