About ONWARD:
Project Basho presents ONWARD Compé, an international juried competition for emerging photographers. Each year Compé culminates in a group show of framed prints from the selected finalists, with an opening reception at Summit, ONWARD’s annual photography festival in Philadelphia.

Juried each year by a leading figure in contemporary photography, ONWARD Compé spotlights new, envelope-pushing work that continues to further the medium. Now in its eighth year, Compé has solidified its standing as a highly respected international competition, drawing submissions from across the U.S. and around the globe. The competition seeks to increase the exposure of talented image-makers, create outlets for artists’ work, and present compelling photographs in a cohesive and well-curated exhibition.

ONWARD Compé has an open theme and accepts submissions from any photographer who has never had commercial gallery representation.

Compé and Summit are two components of ONWARD, a multifaceted photography happening that encompasses a photography festival in Philadelphia, an international competition, Workshops for discerning photographers, and Galerie, an online gallery featuring selected photographers.

Juror:
Every year ONWARD invites a distinguished photographer to lend a discerning eye to Compé, serving as guest juror. The guest juror is responsible for choosing 56 noteworthy finalists and ultimately two outstanding grand prize winners from among hundreds of talented competitors.
Elinor Carucci is an Israeli-born photographer who has lived and worked in New York since 1995. Her recent monograph Mother (Prestel, 2013) was included in the New York Times Top 10 Photo Books of 2013 and the Los Angeles Times Year-End Spread of Bold, Inventive Photography Books.

This year’s guest juror is Elinor Carucci.

Carucci began working on Mother when pregnant with twins in 2004, and continued to photograph her family’s daily life over the course of nearly a decade. The result is a startlingly emotive series that, through intensely personal views of both blissful and painful moments, paradoxically reveals the universal experience of family intimacy. A similar theme is present in much of Carucci’s earlier autobiographical work, including the series Closer (2002).