The mission of the New Photography exhibit is to expose less familiar artists to the world in an attempt to expand the medium. Since its inception in 1985, New Photography has introduced the work of 85 artists from 17 countries. The annual exhibit headlines five new artists this year: Michele Abeles, Birdhead, Anne Collier, Zoe Crosher and Shirana Shahbazi. The exhbit runs from Oct. 3, 2012-Feb. 4, 2013 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Michele Abeles attempts to strip her objects of symbolic and narrative associations by using familiar and generic props. Sometimes she places a piece of Plexiglas in front of her camera lens using different colored gels, making space appear as colored geometric shapes, tricking the eye as to the scale of the subjects

Pitcher, Paper, Arm, Scuba, Lycra by Michele Abeles, 2011

Progressive Substitution Drills by Michele Abeles, 2012

Birdhead, Ji Weiyu and Song Tao work together under the collective name Birdhead in Shanghai, China. They use their urban environment to chronicle the social fabric of the city and capture seemingly unremarkable encounters in daily life. Sometimes they show classic Chinese poems in their photographs by incorporating Chinese characters found on the streets in Shanghai.

Image from The Song of Early Spring by Birdhead, 2012

Image from The Song of Early Spring by Birdhead, 2012

Anne Collier focuses on tensions between power and gender in her photography. She shoots still-life against flat plain backgrounds, choosing everyday objects that are meticulously arranged. Preferring Found objects like records, magazines, appointment calendars, and postcards reveal her interest mass media and pop culture.

Cut by Anne Collier, 2009

Veterans Day (Nudes, 1972 Appointment Calendar) by Anne Collier, 2011

Zoe Crosher questions self-portraiture and representation in the Michelle duBois Project. Croshe has re-photographed, scanned, manipulated and altered duBois' amateur pictures shot of herself during the 1960-80s.

B&W Back of Neck from The Reconsidered Archive of Michelle duBois by Zoe Crosher, 2008

Mae Wested No. 4 (Crumpled) by Zoe Crosher, 2012

Shirana Shahbazi makes abstract photographs without the aid of digital tools. Her compositions are made with geometric volumes and pedestals painted in vivid, bright colors. Here photographs are arranged in different groupings each time they are shown in order to change the spectator's perceptions.

Composition-22-2011 by Shirana Shahbazi, 2011

Composition-40-2011 by Shirana Shahbazi, 2011