Carly Ries (she/they) is an artist living in Brooklyn, NY. Making images and photobooks through a queer lens, their work explores object relationships between photograph, subject, and viewer. Working across analog and digital processes, appropriating archival imagery from pornography and anonymous sources, their practice is multi-faceted and linked with their professional work as a curator, archivist, and educator.

Their photo books are in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, and Joan Flasch Artist Book Collection. Recent exhibitions include BravinLee Gallery, NY; ZH Projects, NY; Likely General, Toronto; Roman Susan Gallery, Chicago; and A.I.R. Gallery, NY; among others. 

Ries manages the Peter J. Cohen Collection, a vast archive of vernacular photographs from the 20th century, and teaches photography at Parsons School of Art and Design, The New School.

Education

2015    MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

2009    BA, Hampshire College


Solo Exhibitions

2020 Minor Goddesses, Likely General, Toronto, CA

2019 Centerfold, ZH Projects, Brooklyn, NY

2014 Nervous Splendor, Schneider Gallery, Chicago, IL


Selected Group Exhibitions

2020 A Fractured Sigh, curated by Chiara Mannarino and
Charlotte Bravin Lee, BravinLee, New York, NY

2019 Centerfold (book release), Zine and Photo Book Fair,
Baxter Street Camera Club, New York, NY

2018 Up like a sun, down like a pancake, curated by Kelly Lloyd, Institute of Contemporary Art, Baltimore, MD

2018 Property, Roman Susan Gallery, Chicago, IL

2016 Who’s Afraid of Feminism, A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2016 We the People, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL

2016 Blueprints, Chicago Industrial Arts & Design Center, Chicago, IL

2015  Hair Club, John M. Flaxman Library, School of the Art Institute of Chicago



Curatorial

2023 Taking Pictures: Women in Vernacular Photography, curated by                 Carly Ries and Julie Saul, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL



Publications

2023 Centerfold, published by Picture Speak

2021   Sky Mirror, artist book

2021   100 Photographs, published by the Collection of Peter J. Cohen

2019   CENTERFOLD, artist book

2017   Book of HAIR, published by HAIR CLUB

2015   Who’s Afraid of Feminism, exhibition catalogue, A.I.R Gallery, Brooklyn, NY




Selected Press

2023 Interview, DAZED

2020 Centerfold, exhibition review by Chiara Mannarino, Femme Art Review

2019 Editors’ Picks, Taylor Dafoe, editor, artnet.com

2016 Artist feature, Aint-Bad

2016 Carly Ries: I’ll be your mirror, Juxtapoz Magazine