Entropy
Spring 2025
Entropy, in its scientific sense, is a measure of disorder, the inevitable descent of a system into chaos. It turns into a poetic lens through which we see the erratic, the shifting, and the unraveling in the setting of photography. This problem is centered on entropy as transition rather than collapse: the disintegration of rigid structures, the conflict between decay and permanence, and the beautiful instability that inspires creativity. By their very nature, photographs are temporary. They capture a moment in a world that is always changing. However, what occurs if the movement is evoked by the image itself? When subject, composition, and context tend to dissolve instead of clarify? Upon reviewing submissions, we saw that a large number of photographers were embracing abstraction, resisting resolutions, and leaning into imperfection as a way to deal with entropy in both their subjects and their photographic process. Entropy therefore turns into a theme as well as a tool. We highlight photographers who are aware of this breakdown. Each faces a fundamental question: What does it mean to frame a moment in a world when everything is on the verge of disorder? The paradox of photography is that it gives the impression that we have power over motionless objects. However, as these photographs demonstrate, entropy appears even in silence. It rearranges, erases, and blurs. And there’s a sort of truth in it.
– Elleah Gipson
Front Cover: Frank Wang
Back Cover: Ashely Cho @ashleyh.cho
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