In the midst of the Covid pandemic, a fax machine offers an alternative form of visual communication

In the spring of 2020, Aaron Stern and Lucy Helton began exchanging images via a thermal fax machine in an attempt to navigate Covid isolation by engaging in virtual conversation. As the pandemic continued throughout 2020 and into 2021, they began inviting other artists to submit work to the fax machine. OK, No Response presents 140 examples of these works from 20 contributors: Juan Brenner, Antony Cairns, Madeline Cass, Jerald Cooper, Jeremy Everett, Christian Filardo, Fryd Frydendahl, Matthew Genitempo, Lucy Helton, Anthony Hernandez, Kovi Konowiecki, Gabby Laurent, Pixy Liao, Susan Lipper, Mark Mattock, Christian Patterson, Aaron Schuman, Bryan Schutmaat, Nick Sethi and Aaron Stern.
The transmission of these photographs reduced them to their most basic forms, introducing errors, static and random glitches. While the source images were varied and diverse, their translation, transmission and recomposition as thermal prints on paper unified them in surprising ways. What began as an impulse to connect during a time of isolation became an unexpected visual manifestation of our interconnectedness.
Aaron Stern is a curator, writer and photographer based in New York City. He has collaborated with Vogue, Purple Magazine and the New York Times. His books, poems and curatorial projects have been included in exhibitions at Chateau Marmont, the International Center of Photography and Milk Gallery. Stern is the co-founder and owner of the curatorial service A Medium Format.
Lucy Helton received a MFA in photography from the Hartford Art School in 2014. Her work examines the intersection of human beings and the landscapes they inhabit, often incorporating concept-specific technologies including HAM radio and fax machines. Her photobooks are in the libraries of the International Center of Photography, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.