The College of Design flock is made up of an inclusive crew that features our esteemed faculty, staff, and passionate students. The University of Oregon (UO) and the college both know that diverse perspectives, beliefs, and cultures are integral to providing a well-rounded educational experience. The college is committed to training and attracting artists and designers who prioritize these beliefs and our college's values in regards to their work, especially those in our teaching faculty.

The newest Assistant Professor of Art and artist-researcher, Tarrah Krajnak, is the latest duck in our artist flock. Joining the School of Art + Design in late 2022, Krajnak taught her first UO class, Film and Darkroom, in winter 2023 with more classes on the way. Her expertise in and passion for photography is a welcome addition to the experts of the School of Art + Design (A+D). 

"When I found the Assistant Professor of Art position at the UO, I became really excited," explained Krajnak. "Public universities and private universities value different things when it comes to artists and researchers, so to find a public university with a strong history in research and an equally strong passion for providing a well-rounded education for all prospective students was an appealing opportunity that I was happy to find."

Krajnak's passion for teaching and dedication to equity and opportunity is a reflection of her own personal journey through academia.

"I am very passionate about teaching especially those individuals who come from a working-class background who might be a first-generation college graduate in the future," explained Krajnak. "Working with a larger program, like UO, really opens up the possibilities and opportunities for prospective designers from a myriad of backgrounds. The more voices that we can hear and foster and strengthen, the better."

Automatic Rocks / Dark Constellations, Grid of Unique Solarized Silver Gelatin Prints, 16x20 each, 2020 to 2022. 
Courtesy of Tarrah Krajnak.

Krajnak is nationally recognized and lauded for her photography, being the recipient of the Jury Prize of the Louis Roederer Discovery Award at Les Rencontres d'Arles, and a Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize from the Center for Documentary Studies, among others.

In addition, her photographs are held in numerous collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, Centre Pompidou, Museum Ludwig, and the Pinault. Krajnak's work has been published and reviewed in Aperture, Artforum, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles among others.

Krajnak's first monograph, El Jardín De Senderos Que Se Bifurcan, was shortlisted for the Aperture/Paris Photo First Book Award in 2021 and named to MoMA's inaugural list of ten photo books of the year. Her second book Master Rituals II: Weston’s Nudes was published with the prestigious imprint TBW books, released at Paris Photo in November 2022 and recently acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Krajnak is excited to bring this pedigree and passion to the A+D faculty.

"To have the opportunity to join such a prestigious faculty of artists and educators is thrilling," exclaimed Krajnak. "I have followed Ron Jude’s work for over a decade, now, and I am excited to join forces with him in the photography area. Our work is complementary and we both offer unique perspectives on the medium which is so important for students to experience. “

Krajnak’s first course at UO was a contribution to the MFA program’s Issues & Practice curriculum. Her newly developed course titled Dark Constellations: Reversals, Impermanence, & Psychic Histories considers themes of exile, disappearance, memory, and historical trauma in works of art, poetry, and theory. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach drawing from a wide range of scholarly research in art and ecology, anthropology, indigenous studies, and poetry. The course aims to confront the material legacies of colonial history by centering marginalized histories. The course was discussion-based, and student-centered, ending in a field trip to Portland with Professor Charlene Liu.

This is just one course planned by the prolific educator who hopes to have many more chances to leave her mark on the university's passionate artists. 

"I am looking forward to contributing to the strong analog history of our school's photography curriculum, and in building new courses that aim to center BIPOC voices and are responsive to the ways photography continues to change,” said Krajnak.