Toy Joy is a juried show of work created with toy cameras by regional, national, and international artists. These toy cameras are made of plastic, with simple lenses and few, if any, adjustable features. The resulting images are characteristically blurry, having light leaks and other strange abberations that most photographers would consider unacceptable. Photographers who use these cameras embrace their inherent flaws with enthusiastic zeal. The artistic vision of these photographers, combined with the optical properties of toy cameras, can produce hauntingly beautiful, dream-like images. Plastic cameras are inexpensive and have names like Holga, Diana, Dorie, Snappy, Click, and Clack.

This show is organized by Laura Burlton and presented in association with London Hair Company. Thanks to photographer and educator Will Michels for jurying this exhibition.

Toy Joy is sponsored by toycamera.com and is an official exhibition of FotoFest 2006.

The show runs March 10-April 23, 2006 at London Hair Company, 2227 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX, US. (Click for map.)

Toy Joy features work by Michelle Bates, Cynthia Batmanis, Wade Beals, Kimberly Berba, Timothy Berg, Susan Burnstine, Matt Callow, Jean Caslin, Shanti Chang, Ryan Daniels, Hazel Dooney, Grant Edwards, D. Clarke Evans, John Fulbright, Tinker Greene, Diane Griffin Gregory, Emily Gross, Nicolai Grossman, Matt Hall, Warren Harold, Robert Holmgren, Mikas Kalinauskas, Jan Kapoor, Carol Sandin Kelly, Bob Kubiak, Jocelyn Mathewes, Kyle Mercer, Jeremy Moore, Creed O'Hanlon, Kathleen O'Hare, Becky Pendel, Valyn Perini, Linh Pham, Chricel Portela, John Reeves, Francisco Mata Rosas, Katie Clark Slick, Royce Ann Sline, Edie Stavinoha, Gordon Stettinius, Carol Stevens, Ryan Stoddart, Ann Texter, Larry Treadway, Candice Tripp, Bill Vaccaro, Marco Vittur, Shannon Welles, Barbara Winderman, and Lu Yi-Chuan