photography

Kate Robertson - People, Dust, and a Whole Lot of Spirit /  by Claudia Phares

Lars Nissen, Untitled 2011

Kate Robertson is part of a group exhibition held at Rae & Bennett Gallery. The show, People, Dust and a Whole Lot of Spirit, consists of a collection of photographs and archives relating to ConFest, Australia’s first alternative life-style festival.

I had never heard of ConFest before this exhibition. I discovered something new about one of Australia’s subcultures. Robertson’s images are worth checking out. Her 2 photos of falling dust were an amalgamation of several dust images taken with various media. Since these images were the most open to interpretation, there was something very captivating about it.

Vanessa Van Houten - Suki and the paperfold /  by Claudia Phares

I saw the current exhibition at C3 Contemporary Art Space at the Abbotsford convent. Vanessa Van Houten’s series’, Suki and the paperfold, was the one that struck me the most. It explored identity, memory, heritage, and the past. The display of the series was interesting too, as they consisted of several arrangements or clusters of images of various sizes each including an artefact, a landscape, and a staged portrait. There is an interesting visual narrative. I like the way Van Houten explored the concepts of culture and identity. The artist’s diverse cultural background has undoubtedly influenced this current exhibition.

10 ways to look at the past - NGV Australia /  by Claudia Phares

Tracey Moffatt
Laudanum, #1, 1998
Set of 19 images
Toned photogravure print on rag paper
76 × 57cm
Edition of 60

I went to see the exhibition ‘10 ways to look at the past’ at the Ian Potter Centre-NGV Australia. The show is about the passage of time interpreted by 10 contemporary Australian artists. What caught my eye was the Tracey Moffat’s series Laudanum, featuring 19 black-and-white framed prints. The softness of the images and the composition created a mesmerising dreamscape. I got the sense of the past and I felt like I was staring at some old found photographs. There is something mysterious, haunting, and erotic in the narrative. This series would make anyone appreciate the fine art of darkroom processes. 

On seeing the cinematic photography of Gregory Crewdson /  by Claudia Phares

I went to C/O Berlin: International Forum for Visual Dialogues which is currently exhibiting 3 series of works by Gregory Crewdson: Fireflies (1996), Beneath the Roses (2003-2007), and Sanctuary (2010).

C/O Berlin was an old post office turned into a cultural institution dedicated to photography since 2006. It is an enormous building which has a lot of history just by looking at the floorboards and the architecture in general. Crewdson’s show occupies the top floor, where a space is allocated to each series. There are about framed 90 large-format photographs, all in colour except for the ‘Fireflies’ series. There’s a video playing an interview with Crewdson in a room at the back.

I had only seen one of Crewdson’s images in the flesh in Melbourne when the Guggenheim exhibition was on at the NGV. To see the whole series ‘Beneath the Roses’ on the wall is quite impressive. It’s my favorite series out of the three. The highly constructed images reflect the extensive planning required to complete one photo. In the hallway, there are drawings sketching out the process. I had seen videos with Crewdson at work: we’re talking about big productions here. The feeling I get with ‘Beneath the roses’ is solitude and loneliness. There is a strong narrative in the series. I’m deeply curious about the original idea from which each image was based on. There are so many interpretations that can be derived. Aesthetically, the photos are impeccable.

The other 2 series are less theatrical. ‘Fireflies’ was Crewdson’s first series done in black and white.There is something minimalist about this series where light trails left by fireflies have been captured on film. Its simplicity is beautiful. With ‘Sanctuary’, the monochromatic series is on old movie sets in Italy. The atmosphere is heavy with loneliness which is a recurring theme in Crewdson’s work, which he talks about in the interview. Overall, the 3 series work well together and are worth checking out.

André Kertész & Daniel Schwartz at Martin Gropius Bau Gallery /  by Claudia Phares

At Martin Gropius Bau is showing 2 photographers who are best known for their artistic manner in documenting what goes on around them. Being of 2 different eras, each succeeded in their own unique way to produce outstanding images. Kertész (1894-1985) has been recognised for his innovative photographic compositions and his eye for geometrical structures, shades, & silhouettes. The exhibition holds 100s of black and white framed prints of various sizes, some original publications, and a little series of coloured polaroids. Seeing Kertész’ work makes me appreciate more the work involved in black and white film photography. Is it a craft. Kertész is definitely one of my favorite black and white photographers of all times.

Concurrently showing was Daniel Schwartz’s exhibition “Snow in Samarkand: Views from the Hinterland of War’, where text and photography are harmoniously juxtaposed. The Swiss-born photographer is also an author who travelled in the war ridden areas of Afghanistan and Central Asia. The works are shown chronologically between 1995-2007. It documents both the socio-political and the history of these diverse geographical areas. The prints were all large (starting from 70x70cm) and framed. The accompanying text was framed and was sometimes right next to a photo and other times by itself on the wall. Previous knowledge of the socio-political events surrounding the areas he visited may help the viewer to fully appreciate the content of the exhibition. I didn’t read all the text as there was a lot. I prefer to read it in a book. I enjoyed Schwartz’s style which is somewhere between photojournalism and documentary with a great eye for composition. 

Overall, both Kertész and Schwartz are photographers worth checking out to compare the way they documented the world in their own distinct way at different times in history. 

Would love to check out German photographer Sigmar Polke /  by Claudia Phares

I would love to see this exhibition of Sigmar Polke at Leo Koenig in NY. Polke was a German painter and photographer who is known for his unconventional approaches in creating art works. He revolutionised the visual art world with his use of various chemicals and techniques. The photo exhibition contains a series of photographs taken between 1964-2000 at the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo and a series of photograms produced with radioactive processes.

via contemporary art daily

Alec Soth: Broken Manual /  by Claudia Phares

Alec Soth, 2008_08zL0107 (large nude), Broken Manual, archival pigment print, 2008, 177.8cm x 142.2cm

I posted a few months ago a link to Alec Soth's project & accompanying film by Laure Flammarion & Arnaud Uyttenhove, 'Somewhere to disappear’, where American men who voluntarily hid from society were photographed. I had the chance to see Soth’s photos of his project ‘Broken Manual’, currently showing at Loock Gallery in Berlin.  

The prints are absolutely amazing. They were massive and all framed. Soth used a large format camera which you see him hauling around in the video. It’s interesting how these men, who retreated from society, were comfortable enough to be photographed. This probably reflect Soth’s affinities with his subject; he mentions in the film how he would like to have his own cave. Talk about the idea of escapism. This show was by far my favorite photo exhibition for its concept and quality of work. The gallery space was well lit which made me appreciate the prints even more. I liked the little room allocated to the screening of the movie. However, the room was too bright to enjoy the movie comfortbaly. Overall, ‘Broken Manual’ is a beautiful exhibition documenting the ones who decided to live on the edge.