Philadelphia Photo Arts Center is presently showing six different projects by seven different artists in the show “Of the Ordinary.” At a time when the medium of photography is constantly in flux, this exhibit tackles the topics of appropriation and source material as ways to alter the context of images. The idea that modern photos are being shared and exchanged with virtually no limits over the Internet has vastly changed the way our visual information flows.

Alyse Emdur compiled an extensive compilation of photographs sent by prison inmates for “Prison Landscapes.” Prisoners represent themselves through photos taken in front of different scenes painted or otherwise constructed by other inmates as visiting room backdrops. The backgrounds are interpretations of locations outside the prison that the individuals — visiting friends and family, as well as prisoners — can use to fantasize and escape from the harsh reality of incarcerated life. The landscapes range from cities and beaches to the interior of a medieval king’s court. Apparently, the practice is fairly common in prisons around the country, and the scenes are as enlightening as they are bittersweet.

The photos in Ron Jude’s “Alpine Star” are derived from the local paper of the artist’s hometown in Idaho. Without the content of an accompanying article, the somewhat crude images take on lives of their own. They are subtly manipulated and become standalone abstractions instead of the informative bits of documentary they once were.

Pain is palpable in “Too Hard to Keep” by Chicago-based artist Jason Lazarus. The artist asks for anyone to send him photographs that are just too difficult to possess. Senders needn’t include a reason, and photos can be displayed upside down if so desired. This mix of images without context paired with the backs of photos is cathartic to say the least. Only aware of the general root of suffering, the viewer constructs possible scenarios and empathizes with these narratives almost automatically in the absence of additional information. The disconnect between not knowing the stories and still feeling the pain proves just how powerful the human imagination can be.

Christian Patterson also has a tragic background to his “Redheaded Peckerwood,” except here the backstory is made known. He details the locations and images surrounding a mass murder that took place in Nebraska and Wyoming from 1957-58 at the hands of 19 year-old Charles Starkweather and his 14 year-old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate. It is a chilling intrigue into the lives of two young people who took their rebelliousness to a horrific end.

Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin reveal hidden components of prints from the Belfast Exposed Archives in Ireland for their project “People in Trouble, Laughing, Pushed to the Ground.” The archives were originally founded in 1983 in response to the British government’s control over images depicting military activity.

Ofer Wolberger examines the way the human body appears when injured and in recovery from trauma, including casts and other methods of healing. The project is called “Fractures” and provides grainy photos of the injured individuals, as well as headshots, which are literally fractured by vertical red marks.

Although much of the content in the show is challenging or dark, the appropriation of materials in this show proves that meaning is not a constant for images. Many of the unwitting participants in this show, such as the photographers of the “Alpine Star” images, are probably totally unaware that their images are now part of an art exhibit. This only begs the question of where some of our familiar photos may someday wind up …

The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center is located at 1400 N. American St., Suite 103; 215.232.5678.