Photographic heroes:
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Initial ideas- pinterest board
After getting feedback on the presentation I did to the class, I decided to explore the theme of distortion for my curatorship project. To start off my research, I created a pinterest board. From this, I gained a multitude of inspiration and links to artists that I want to include in the exhibition. It was helpful to see the variation in my chosen theme, and provided many potential starting points.
CURATORSHIP: Distortion
How has photography moved beyond accurate portrayal? And how has distortion become a means of photographic experimentation and exploration? This winter, The White Cube Gallery will host a groundbreaking exhibition discussing distortion through the themes of people, landscape and abstraction. It will detail photography that spans across a century and draws on celebrated global works.
In the 21st century, 'distortion' is a little defined but commonly expressed term within art. It's dictionary definition states that it entails 'the action of giving a misleading account or impression' with synonyms such as 'warp' 'twist' and 'deformation' building up a defining picture in one's mind that is difficult to pinpoint and address. Distortion will examine the photographic processes and often unpredictable outcomes of six artists who explore the theme via different paths of investigation, forcing the audience to question their own perception of reality.
Drawn from major public and private collections across the world, the exhibition will explore the personal and historical contexts that birthed the displayed work. For the first time, historic photographs by photographers such as Francis Bruguiere and Jean Marc Bustamante will be shown alongside exciting contemporary, manipulated pieces by photographers like Laurence DeMaison and Douglas Gordon, offering a critical insight into how each was made and presented. Each photographer's different interpretation of distortion is considered through their category (and subsequent room), from one artist's struggle with self-hatred to another's intention of redefining reality.
Starting in the 1920s, Distortion navigates through time from the emergence of photographic surrealism to modern day technological manipulation. The exhibition spans from Brugiere's cut paper abstractions to Gordon's distorted portraits of iconic celebrities, bringing together a multitude of artistic content under the same theme. It demonstrates how photographers from different eras can find commonality and exposes previously unforeseen links between them; it's processes offering alternatives to photographic norms and providing inspiration to audiences today.
In the 21st century, 'distortion' is a little defined but commonly expressed term within art. It's dictionary definition states that it entails 'the action of giving a misleading account or impression' with synonyms such as 'warp' 'twist' and 'deformation' building up a defining picture in one's mind that is difficult to pinpoint and address. Distortion will examine the photographic processes and often unpredictable outcomes of six artists who explore the theme via different paths of investigation, forcing the audience to question their own perception of reality.
Drawn from major public and private collections across the world, the exhibition will explore the personal and historical contexts that birthed the displayed work. For the first time, historic photographs by photographers such as Francis Bruguiere and Jean Marc Bustamante will be shown alongside exciting contemporary, manipulated pieces by photographers like Laurence DeMaison and Douglas Gordon, offering a critical insight into how each was made and presented. Each photographer's different interpretation of distortion is considered through their category (and subsequent room), from one artist's struggle with self-hatred to another's intention of redefining reality.
Starting in the 1920s, Distortion navigates through time from the emergence of photographic surrealism to modern day technological manipulation. The exhibition spans from Brugiere's cut paper abstractions to Gordon's distorted portraits of iconic celebrities, bringing together a multitude of artistic content under the same theme. It demonstrates how photographers from different eras can find commonality and exposes previously unforeseen links between them; it's processes offering alternatives to photographic norms and providing inspiration to audiences today.
Room 1 - people
Portraiture has developed a lot since it's initial aim of producing a true-to-life likeness of someone, in order to represent them accurately. Movements such as surrealism and abstraction have allowed for a distortative approach to photographing people whereby the intention is to produce something that resembles nothing recognisable. The photographers in this room partake in distorting portraits of people. DeMaison explores this through a variety of different mediums, including using long exposure to create blur and water and glass to create a barrier between herself and the camera as a means of distancing herself from her own image. She channels her self-hatred in to artistic genius, referencing an alternative method of dealing with mental health and art. The result is a unique presentation of distortion relating to navigating her personal experience. Slightly earlier in the 20th century, Douglas Gordon takes a different approach in his distortion, choosing to physically alter the image by burning out the eyes, revealing a mirror that challenges the audience's perception of the work and forcing them to stare back at themselves.
Laurence Demaison is a photographer that aims to challenge human perception with her hauntingly beautiful self-portraits. She began her self-taught journey into photography in 1990, after previously practicing various means of artistic expression (painting, drawing, sculpture and architecture). One way in which she explores this is through her photographic technique. By using long periods of exposure, Demaison can take full advantage of ‘showing what the camera sees’ compared to the fleeting and often simpler impression captured by the human eye. Whilst we cannot naturally see the smudges and multi-faceted angles from which she is presented in the images, the camera, a passive observer in the process, is able to store and layer the movement that results in the absolute distortion of her figure so entirely. It is in this movement that the project is defined: Demaison’s subversion of the perfect self portrait (through blur and distortion) suggest her technique of using film cameras and playing with long exposures and her idea of photography.
Described as a moving performance, this image showcases her meticulously planned photographic experimentation. The total concealment of a recognisable form lends itself to surrealism- a movement that’s influence is obvious in Demaison’s work. The smudge-trails of her arm movements resemble wings, but the repeated motif of her hands return the viewer to human characteristics; further reinforcing the surreal elements of the image. Particularly evocative are the hands on the figure’s head, implying a sense of torment that is supported by the grey, grainy and monochrome colours.
Described as a moving performance, this image showcases her meticulously planned photographic experimentation. The total concealment of a recognisable form lends itself to surrealism- a movement that’s influence is obvious in Demaison’s work. The smudge-trails of her arm movements resemble wings, but the repeated motif of her hands return the viewer to human characteristics; further reinforcing the surreal elements of the image. Particularly evocative are the hands on the figure’s head, implying a sense of torment that is supported by the grey, grainy and monochrome colours.
Demaison is particularly interested in the female portrait and nudity within her work. Her difficulty with accepting herself is a major theme throughout her images, and her desire to escape her own appearance is recognisably translated in them. To some extent, she uses her work to adequately convey her mental images into artistic direction; exclusively using herself (until 2010) as the subject to try and confront the image of her own body. However, rather than portraying her body as it was, she sought to conceal, modify, distort and reconstruct it to “make it more acceptable to (her)”. This adds to the complexity of her work; by using a ‘mask’ (i.e water, glass or blur) Demaison can be her true self, freed from the burden of words and the presence of others. The distortion creates a barrier between perception and reality, audience and artist, which allows her to feel “beautiful in some way”. The contortion of her face presents a stranger, unfamiliar face that she deems beautiful. In this way, she uses photography to conceal her self loathing and transform it into a form of self-appreciation.
The image shown above portrays this rehabilitative approach to photography. Her eyes are magnified by the water to almost resemble a doll; the ultimate embodiment of innocence and preserved beauty. A sense of youth is further enhanced by her flawless, hazey skin. The water’s distortative qualities soften and blur any imperfections, resulting in a blemishless and ‘perfect’ complexion. However, the bubble shows a different refraction of her face. At a harsher angle, the tiny likeness shows a more unflattering depiction of Demaision and hints at the reality that lies beneath the ‘barrier’. Interestingly, the bubble is both small and appears on the larger face. This suggests that her attempts at concealment are not entirely convincing and imply her own sense of self-loathing as unable to be forgotten. It is this complexity that makes Demaison’s work so captivating and engaging.
The image shown above portrays this rehabilitative approach to photography. Her eyes are magnified by the water to almost resemble a doll; the ultimate embodiment of innocence and preserved beauty. A sense of youth is further enhanced by her flawless, hazey skin. The water’s distortative qualities soften and blur any imperfections, resulting in a blemishless and ‘perfect’ complexion. However, the bubble shows a different refraction of her face. At a harsher angle, the tiny likeness shows a more unflattering depiction of Demaision and hints at the reality that lies beneath the ‘barrier’. Interestingly, the bubble is both small and appears on the larger face. This suggests that her attempts at concealment are not entirely convincing and imply her own sense of self-loathing as unable to be forgotten. It is this complexity that makes Demaison’s work so captivating and engaging.
Demaison’s work is powerful due to her immense dedication to producing it. For her series of autoportraits, she shoots on a Contax 645, using real film and no digital process. This means that the distortion is entirely live and real; no shortcuts have been taken by using Photoshop. Moreover, she is a self-taught photographer, and develops the film herself. Her determination to portray her project in exactly the right way is evidenced by this; there is no intervention from others that would alter her exact vision to create something slightly dissimilar from what she envisioned. She uses the reflective and distorting qualities of water to make phantoms of herself, that “don’t feel like self-portraits at all”. A further degree of separation is removed by the fact that she is the subject of all her photos, and through the knowledge that she “built a glass tank, the size of a coffin” to lie in and be photographed. This indicates Demaison’s extreme dedication and commitment to her body of work, and is likely to have contributed to it’s success and poignancy.
This image depicts the process by which Demaison produces her work. Despite not showing an actual finished image, it provides an interesting insight into the process. Furthermore, it shows Demaison as the subject, as in her published works, which blurs the lines between selects and outtakes. Her body is very still,and she seems focussed on something just out of frame. This implies that she is constantly and consistently centred around (and thinking about) her work. Her solitary nature and doing all the jobs herself implies a sense of loneliness, which could also be interpreted as perfectionism; not letting others dictate her work. The result of which is a dark glimpse behind the method of Demaison’s work, which could form a standalone image in the series.
This image depicts the process by which Demaison produces her work. Despite not showing an actual finished image, it provides an interesting insight into the process. Furthermore, it shows Demaison as the subject, as in her published works, which blurs the lines between selects and outtakes. Her body is very still,and she seems focussed on something just out of frame. This implies that she is constantly and consistently centred around (and thinking about) her work. Her solitary nature and doing all the jobs herself implies a sense of loneliness, which could also be interpreted as perfectionism; not letting others dictate her work. The result of which is a dark glimpse behind the method of Demaison’s work, which could form a standalone image in the series.
Douglas Gordon is an award winning artist who lives in Berlin. He has always been obsessed with fire, and his series ‘Self Portraits of You + Me’ explores his relationship with fire and celebrity. He often works with common or popular culture imagery- in this case, known images of celebrities- and manipulates/distorts them to reveal them afresh. In this, he exposes aspects of them that have formerly been overlooked, unnoticed or disregarded. Gordon physically burns the eyes of the images in an attempt to distort the celebrity into something different and lesser, discarding their fame through destruction. He believes that the eyes are the key to identity in a person, and by that destroying them, the mundane is adopted. The icons are thus de-glorified and humbled through his artistic mutilation. To some extent, this appears as frankenstein-esque: choosing to damage an individual to force them to fit his agenda. In another interpretation, it could be seen as a public comment on, or rejection of, celebrity culture. The series is deliberately ambiguous which adds to it’s appeal.
This image depicts the famous French actress Simone Signoret, often hailed as one of France’s greatest film stars. It is an old portrait of her, taken on film and probably used for promotional purposes indicative of her gentil, up-close pose. The monotonous monochrome is broken by the burnt orange that surrounds the holes where her eyes have been burnt through. This suggests his intention of destroying the eyes to strip the fame. It also implies a sense of eeriness and creepiness, which is enhanced by the old film photograph. It almost feels as if the photo has been found like that, suggesting a sense of malice and the unknown about what happened to it.
This image depicts the famous French actress Simone Signoret, often hailed as one of France’s greatest film stars. It is an old portrait of her, taken on film and probably used for promotional purposes indicative of her gentil, up-close pose. The monotonous monochrome is broken by the burnt orange that surrounds the holes where her eyes have been burnt through. This suggests his intention of destroying the eyes to strip the fame. It also implies a sense of eeriness and creepiness, which is enhanced by the old film photograph. It almost feels as if the photo has been found like that, suggesting a sense of malice and the unknown about what happened to it.
Gordon’s work is often based on a disruption of perception, in an attempt to lay bare the ambiguities of human life. He demonstrates this through the use of mirrors in his work. Behind where the portrait has been burned away lie mirrors in which the viewers see themselves. By making the audience aware of their own subjectivity through the mirrors, he questions how we give meaning to ourselves and our lifestyle choices. The mirrors force a confrontation for the audience- the celebrity, now burnt away, reflect the familiar image of our own identity. In doing this, further questions are raised about fame’s emptiness and roots; behind the idol is a literal reflection of oneself, a normal person. By using the mirrors, Gordon sought to explore the degree to which we are all shifting identities, choosing to allow them to reveal and match parts of yourself up with the altered, distorted celebrity image in the foreground. This method of thinking, translated here into his work, can be traced to his own fascination in psychoanalysis and desire to examine the complexities of the human mind.
This image depicts The Beatles, or what remains of them. A classic shot, it is instantly recognisable which makes their absent features feel more strange and unnerving. In this image, Gordon has burned through the eyes and mouths of each person, practically erasing their entire face. This suggests a complete overhaul and elimination of the celebrity identity. It also means that more mirror is incorporated, and thus a larger proportion of the audience’s reflection is shown. In this, Gordon comments on the extent to which popular and social culture are intertwined. The variation between the works in terms of the amount that is burnt and amount of mirror revealed imply variation in how entirely the photographer wants to link the two concepts, and provide further intricacy in his intentions.
This image depicts The Beatles, or what remains of them. A classic shot, it is instantly recognisable which makes their absent features feel more strange and unnerving. In this image, Gordon has burned through the eyes and mouths of each person, practically erasing their entire face. This suggests a complete overhaul and elimination of the celebrity identity. It also means that more mirror is incorporated, and thus a larger proportion of the audience’s reflection is shown. In this, Gordon comments on the extent to which popular and social culture are intertwined. The variation between the works in terms of the amount that is burnt and amount of mirror revealed imply variation in how entirely the photographer wants to link the two concepts, and provide further intricacy in his intentions.
Gordon’s religious upbringing made him deeply aware of human beliefs and he uses these throughout his work. He describes his childhood environment as a “loving, brutal and physically testing home”. His work tends to be structured around dualities, exploring dark themes and existential dilemmas. This can be evidenced in his destruction of ‘perfect’ found portraits. It could be seen as a comment on the presumption that as time goes on, our idols become not quite as whole as when we first saw them. They deteriorate in our minds until only a fraction of what they used to mean to us remains; a reminder of our own assumed youthful idolising of celebrity culture. Another meaning is expressed in the notion that when you get too close to something that you love, you inevitably destroy it. In this sense, Gordon not only distorts the physical print of the image, but also the responding thoughts of the audience.
His work is evocative in that it feels wrong. Openly slandering societal idols is by no means a new concept in art, but providing a reflection feels like blame and responsibility is placed on the audience. The expression of the subject suggests a feeling of anger and hostility which is amplified by the harsh impression that the burning leaves. In the absence of the features is the mirror, implying Gordon’s attempt to address is psychoanalytical agenda through challenging human perception.
His work is evocative in that it feels wrong. Openly slandering societal idols is by no means a new concept in art, but providing a reflection feels like blame and responsibility is placed on the audience. The expression of the subject suggests a feeling of anger and hostility which is amplified by the harsh impression that the burning leaves. In the absence of the features is the mirror, implying Gordon’s attempt to address is psychoanalytical agenda through challenging human perception.
Room 2- landscape
The next room features artists that distort landscapes. Traditionally, landscape photography has been a medium by which to capture a scene's natural beauty, or document a particular moment in time. However, increasingly, landscapes are being altered and experimented to produce other-worldly and unimaginable scenes. This room features Matta-Clark, a young-dying artist, who employs elements of architecture in his work which is evident in the physical feats that he accomplishes and photographs. Through his destruction of structures, he challenges the state and forces his audience to question their relationship with the government and the material thing. Contrastingly, Dibbets (who works in the present) works with photo-manipulation to produce distorted landscapes that seem to bend and warp reality, or merge horizon lines of land and sea. Both offer an alternative take on distortion that broadens the exhibition to include one of the pivotal arcs in photography.
BIOGRAPHY
1943: Born in New York 1962-1968: studied architecture at Cornell University 1974: as part of his 'Anarchitecture' movement, performed a deconstruction. The work was titled 'Bingo'. 1978: died 1985: the first museum retrospective of his work opened in Chicago, before travelling to global institutions |
Gordon Matta Clark is an architect turned photographer, artist and performer. He had a fascination in social aspects of how abandonment and urban renewal would affect and displace communities. In his work ‘Splitting’, Clark completely cuts an abandoned house in half. The process by which this was achieved is as important (if not more so) to Clark than the result. This was a lengthy yet methodical one, in which he carefully deconstructed the house’s frame, porch, cinder blocks and walls (inside and out) with a chainsaw. He then lowered the back of the building on to the remaining blocks, leaving a gap that narrowed as it moved down. He describes being very engaged with his work in a way that almost feels like a performance. The systematic way in which he deconstructs and reconstructs the house, and the importance that he places on it, has overtones of Richard Serra’s ‘Verb List’. These verbs described possible techniques for manipulating material and creating art. They include ‘to tear’, ‘to split’, ‘to cut’, ‘to remove’, ‘to open’, ‘to support’, ‘to expand’ and ‘to light’, all of which Matta-Clark performed in the creation of Splitting. When writing about the project, Clark also gave the house a performative role, saying that having made the cut there was a real moment of suspense about how the house would react, but that it responded ‘like a perfect dance partner’. He also wrote that the production of the work was not illusionistic, but that it was ‘all about a direct physical activity’ and not about making associations with anything outside it.
This image shows the house that he cut in half. It's split is emphasised by the slit of sunlight protruding on the grass, which forms a stark contrast to the shadow cast by the structure. The process of placing the split half back on to it's blocks to create this illusion is somewhat overlooked- it literally just looks like someone has cut through it with a huge instrument. This, in part, was Matta-Clark's aim. The angle at which the photo is taken is slightly off-balance, reflective of the slight lopsidedness of the building. It suggests that the beauty comes not from the result but more from the process; the audience is given an insight in to the colossal feat that splitting the house has taken and, to an extent, disregards the assumed 'perfection' of the final piece.
This image shows the house that he cut in half. It's split is emphasised by the slit of sunlight protruding on the grass, which forms a stark contrast to the shadow cast by the structure. The process of placing the split half back on to it's blocks to create this illusion is somewhat overlooked- it literally just looks like someone has cut through it with a huge instrument. This, in part, was Matta-Clark's aim. The angle at which the photo is taken is slightly off-balance, reflective of the slight lopsidedness of the building. It suggests that the beauty comes not from the result but more from the process; the audience is given an insight in to the colossal feat that splitting the house has taken and, to an extent, disregards the assumed 'perfection' of the final piece.
His ideas about consumerism, capitalism and state control translate into his work. In explaining his habit of ‘centreing and removal’, he said that he “directs attention to the central void, to the gap which could be between the self and the American Capitalist system”. His use of creating physical holes in his work can be interpreted as placing distance between the people and ‘the system’, but also as an attack on it; creating holes and gaps in which to expose it’s flaws and shortcomings. This almost conspiratorial view is justified by his statement that America in the 1970s was dealing with a “carefully sustained mass schizophrenia in which individual perceptions are constantly being subverted by industrially controlled media, markets and corporate interests”. This helps to explain his preference for destruction- in destroying these abandoned state building walls and creating a view of the outside world, he intends to expose the system that is leaving all of these abandoned houses and raise questions as to the freedom of it’s civilians.
The above image encompasses this idea, depicting an empty building that has had a circular section of the wall and a considerable section of the floor removed. Through the concrete gap, the street below is exposed. Although ultimately serving the same purpose as a window, it provides a much more pivotal view into 1970s society, suggestive of his anti-capitalist persuasion.
The above image encompasses this idea, depicting an empty building that has had a circular section of the wall and a considerable section of the floor removed. Through the concrete gap, the street below is exposed. Although ultimately serving the same purpose as a window, it provides a much more pivotal view into 1970s society, suggestive of his anti-capitalist persuasion.
Matta-Clark’s sculptures become almost surrealist in that he is essentially deconstructing reality. His interventions on buildings (through making cuts and extractions) show the possibility of a deconstructed reality by transforming our consciousness and the way we perceive our world. By exposing areas of the outside that would normally be covered, he presents an alternative view on the way the audience encounters and interacts with the world and, in doing so, intervenes in their known reality. He also challenges the power of representation as a means of architectural and artistic thinking- by distorting these landscapes he reverts the process of our lineal way of thinking, asking the audience to consider the complexities and contradictions given by the built environment. The fact that he is able to physically cut them apart provides a further contradiction: buildings that some would consider ‘home’ (a safe, secure place) are easily destroyed and transformed into an art medium. This can be understood as a kind of architectural dissidence, which he called ‘Anarchitecture’.
Distortion of reality through Matta-Clark's work can clearly be evidenced in the above image, in which he has cut out the ceiling of a building and sections of the floor. The curvature of the floor gives the impression of a melted or fluid environment, contradicted by the concrete that it is made out of. In this sense, Clark has warped reality, thus achieving his aim. Leaving a hole in the ceiling also exposes the building to the elements, and suggests a sense of further distortion from other factors (i.e weather) that Matta-Clark has limited control over.
Distortion of reality through Matta-Clark's work can clearly be evidenced in the above image, in which he has cut out the ceiling of a building and sections of the floor. The curvature of the floor gives the impression of a melted or fluid environment, contradicted by the concrete that it is made out of. In this sense, Clark has warped reality, thus achieving his aim. Leaving a hole in the ceiling also exposes the building to the elements, and suggests a sense of further distortion from other factors (i.e weather) that Matta-Clark has limited control over.
Jan Dibbets is a Dutch photographer who challenges perspective and perception with his series ‘Land and Sea Horizons’. Somewhat similarly to Matta-Clark, he is concerned with the contradictions of our concepts of reality and their realisation in photography. He distorts landscapes subtly enough that the audience is perturbed, but the sense of deformity is not explicit. This makes his work both ambiguous and ambivalent, and more complex than what an initial view would reveal. In the series, Dibbets juxtaposes photographs of dunes and sea. The viewer simultaneously sees what would be in front of and behind them in a real landscape. This creates an almost virtual reality setup, whereby a 360 degree view is exposed to an objective audience. This experience is further stimulated by the fact that the horizon line remains constant and level, despite the panels being pieced together in different and seemingly mismatched ways. Dibbets’ distortion of the landscape offers a more inclusive experience, aiming to question the angle of vision from which we perceive reality through images today. We see the reality that exists, and another that we are able to create when looking at these images.
This image shows the opposing directions from a point along the shoreline. On the left is a grass bank, and the right a picture of the open sea. Although they are tilted at quite a steep angle, the horizon lines feed into each other seamlessly. This creates a feeling of distortion and almost of slipping down. It feels like a twisted reality where things are rotating and merging that couldn’t do so normally. This suggests that Dibbets’ attempts to use photography as a tool to explore his theme has been realised through the manipulation and rotation of each image.
Dibbets also wanted to use photography to record and emphasise aspects of the geometry of a landscape. His technique reflects this: he used a camera on a tripod and changed the angle by 15 degrees for each shot. This created a view of the surroundings from multiple angles and perspectives, whilst still being uniform in the method. It was also kept uniform and secure by the use of the tripod; without this, he would’ve encountered slightly different angles and frames.The geometry (using the same 15 degree angle for each image) is emphasised in each photo’s reflection of one another. He then mounted the resulting images as a panorama.The title ‘Dutch Mountain’ is ironic, as it relates to the apparently undulating forms that Dibbets created in the characteristically Dutch landscape. His creation of a structurally different form of landscape than is actually present adds to the distortative approach Dibbets aims to experiment with.
Choosing a panorama to form this picture corroborates it’s intention. This was an appropriate form of presentation as it showcases the multiple angles from which the image was formed. It also highlights the breadth of the view, without correcting any of the varying colours so that it is still clear that they are different images (as opposed to one large panoramic image). He left the pencil markings of the protractor on the bottom of the image. This focuses the viewer’s attention back to the geometric aspect of the work, and provides an insight into the photographer’s raw process: normally, these rough sketchings would be removed once the final photo had been produced, but the decision to keep them on adds a level of personalisation and lessens the gap between artist and audience.
Choosing a panorama to form this picture corroborates it’s intention. This was an appropriate form of presentation as it showcases the multiple angles from which the image was formed. It also highlights the breadth of the view, without correcting any of the varying colours so that it is still clear that they are different images (as opposed to one large panoramic image). He left the pencil markings of the protractor on the bottom of the image. This focuses the viewer’s attention back to the geometric aspect of the work, and provides an insight into the photographer’s raw process: normally, these rough sketchings would be removed once the final photo had been produced, but the decision to keep them on adds a level of personalisation and lessens the gap between artist and audience.
Dibbets takes an almost philosophical approach to photography, having been one of the pioneers and partakers of conceptual art. He first entered the photographic world in 1967 and had “all these ideas” concerning abstraction; he was interested in the concepts or reality, abstraction, and how the two interlinked in the camera and mind. This partially stemmed from the context within which he grew up: in the 1960s photography and art existed as separate entities and were not seen to mix. Within this, Dibbets expressed his distaste for ‘fads’ or movements within photography that he saw as temporary. The true excitement within photography, he says, lies within making the movements happen before the “imitations begin”. He develops the idea through the term that he’s coined- “thinking photography” in which the ideas of the complexities of photography as a concept are examined. He says that “Photography is very easy and very complicated at the same time. It’s tricky and in this trick the fascination lies”.
The image above depicts an almost 360 degree perspective of Four Courts in Dublin, made by the layering of images from different angles. The overall effect is a curved panorama that appears to bend and distort reality. This suggests that Dibbets’ intention of applying his “thinking photography” concept has been realised in that the image is abstract. Furthermore, the circular formation of the image suggests a sense of recurrence; a loop that explores time and endlessness. By doing this, Dibbets indicates another level of warping reality; doing so both aesthetically and via an atmosphere of implications.
The image above depicts an almost 360 degree perspective of Four Courts in Dublin, made by the layering of images from different angles. The overall effect is a curved panorama that appears to bend and distort reality. This suggests that Dibbets’ intention of applying his “thinking photography” concept has been realised in that the image is abstract. Furthermore, the circular formation of the image suggests a sense of recurrence; a loop that explores time and endlessness. By doing this, Dibbets indicates another level of warping reality; doing so both aesthetically and via an atmosphere of implications.
Room 3 - light/abstraction
Light, distortion and abstraction seem to go hand-in-hand. Light has reflective and blinding qualities that provide the perfect foundations or distorted photographs. In the final room, I have included photographers that work in more abstract forms, experimenting with light and shapes. Whilst Brugiere's cut paper abstractions present the audience with a close distortative perspective, Bustamante photographs slightly blurred geometric landscapes which use light to focus and divert attention.
BIOGRAPHY 1879: born in America 1905: Set up studio in San Francisco 1918: Moved to New York. Photographed for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair. 1927: Had a one man show at the New York Art Centre Moved to London and made a film called Light Rhythms. 1937: abandoned photography to focus on painting and sculpture 1945: died in London |
Bruguiére partook in the trend towards photographic abstraction that emerged in the 1920s. This is most prominently displayed through his photographic still-life, in particular his ‘cut paper abstractions’. In the series, he experimented with solarisation, multiple exposures and different methods to cutting paper to create the abstractions that he is so well known for. The light-based experiments by which the final image was reached are reminiscent of producing photograms, yet they do not fall under that category as they were not explicitly derived by the normal photogram process. Bruguiere uses a strong light which give the illusion that the curves of paper appear as a complex intertwining of light and shadow. This manipulation of light has iconic and dramatic effect on the paper, and contributes instrumentally to the resulting abstract form. demonstrate what can be achieved with very simple materials - paper and light. Each image seems more interested in the formal abstract elements of photography than in representing the subject naturalistically.
This image is ambiguous in content; it is remnant of abstract structures in real life. It is difficult to map Bruguiére’s process of experimentation as the result demonstrates abstraction to a full degree. The use of the light has created an almost theatrical feel to the image; however it is interesting that it isn’t black and white. The colours are a softer grey/green colour which adds a sense of antiquity and is a further indicator of the physical photographic processes used, and the only ones that were available at the time.
This image is ambiguous in content; it is remnant of abstract structures in real life. It is difficult to map Bruguiére’s process of experimentation as the result demonstrates abstraction to a full degree. The use of the light has created an almost theatrical feel to the image; however it is interesting that it isn’t black and white. The colours are a softer grey/green colour which adds a sense of antiquity and is a further indicator of the physical photographic processes used, and the only ones that were available at the time.
By the early 1920s, photographic technology encountered it’s turning point. It entered a period of progress and change, for the first time allowing experimentation since the sombre and documentative photography during World War One. For Bruguiere, an avant-garde artist, photography housed a new appeal. It had associations with modern technology, the everyday and science. From these spheres of influence, he was able to create his distorted works. The camera’s technology of mechanical reproduction made it the most modern, fastest and most relevant form of visual representation in that era. Photography seemed to offer the chance to change perceptions of visual recording and representing the world, whether this was through a scheme of superimpositions, darkroom experimentation or creating increasingly abstract works. In the post world war one era, this was a rejection of the photographic rules and conventions that had dominated the field previously. This was due to it’s newness as an industry- initially it was just used as a prerequisite for drawings/paintings. Bruguiere’s work encompasses the early breaking out of abstraction.
This image depicts a superimposition of a grand building. It has 2 layers and accurately portrays the photographer’s intention of experimentation using the camera. Subtle, soft lines are created by the singular layers of the building, with the columns creating divisions that add focus and prominency to the image. The unconventional angles by which they are superimposed suggests a rejection of photographic norms and corroborates Bruguiere’s aims for this body of work.
This image depicts a superimposition of a grand building. It has 2 layers and accurately portrays the photographer’s intention of experimentation using the camera. Subtle, soft lines are created by the singular layers of the building, with the columns creating divisions that add focus and prominency to the image. The unconventional angles by which they are superimposed suggests a rejection of photographic norms and corroborates Bruguiere’s aims for this body of work.
Bruguiere’s photographs are remnant of pictorialist style, idealising scenes in soft focus. Manipulating negatives further adds to this abstraction. The unrecognisable shapes and colour of his work reflect his own interests: exotic dancers and nude colours and tones. His pictorialist influence transformed into modernist abstraction throughout the 1920s, and possessed a keen appeal to double exposure, montage and notably the production of abstract constructivist images made of geometric patterns of light. This is clearly translated in his work, most prominently in his ‘cut paper abstractions’, where geometric undertones and playing with light provide the main basis of the image. His working method involved “long exposure times and multiple exposures on a single plate”. This meant that what was recorded on the negative didn’t exist in reality- it was the accumulation of various manipulations of light over numerous exposures. By doing this, Bruguiere suggests the uncertainty and imperceptibility of the process is crucial, if not the most important element of the final image. As described by one critic, it introduces the concept of “visual blindness” and exposes the fact that the outcome of his photography would have been impossible to accurately predict.
This image encompasses the influences of personal interest discussed. For example, the colour is a warm brown, remnant of the nude shades which he was known to love and incorporate into his work. Moreover, the lines and patterns in which he has cut form curved shapes that are similar to feminine silhouettes; a nod to his engagement with exotic dancers. The complexity and overlapping of the light and shadow pattern also represent the numerous takes on one plate and softness created by long exposure. It’s easy to draw parallels with the process and outcome, which in some sense lessens its distortion in that the viewer is able to map and predict the outcome to an extent.
This image encompasses the influences of personal interest discussed. For example, the colour is a warm brown, remnant of the nude shades which he was known to love and incorporate into his work. Moreover, the lines and patterns in which he has cut form curved shapes that are similar to feminine silhouettes; a nod to his engagement with exotic dancers. The complexity and overlapping of the light and shadow pattern also represent the numerous takes on one plate and softness created by long exposure. It’s easy to draw parallels with the process and outcome, which in some sense lessens its distortion in that the viewer is able to map and predict the outcome to an extent.
1952 - Jean-Marc Bustamante was born in Toulouse, France.
Mid/ Late 1970s - assisting and working with photographer William Klein. Late 1970s - produced works titled Tableaux, a series of photographs of the region of Barcelona that sparked interest about the boundary between painting and photography. 1990 to 1995 - Professor at the Rijksakademie Amsterdam. 2003 - Bustamante represented France at the 50th Venice Biennale (an arts organisation based in Venice, Italy). 2008 - he was awarded the medal of the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte). 2011 - Released his book Dead Calm, a collaborative collection of his historic and recent work. 2015 - He becomes the new director of the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris. |
Through the images in his series ‘Lumiére’, Bustamante explores light. He prints his images large, silkscreening them on Plexiglas and mounting them a few inches from the wall on metal brackets. They are printed as partially transparent, and seem to glow (as the name suggests) due to light reflecting through it from the wall behind. This, combined with the space that forms a barrier between wall and image, suggest the images to be floating and provide a sense of surrealism in their glow. It has a delicacy in it’s hanging, but is substantial enough to cast shadows. As one critic puts it, “they have a presence bordering on absence” which resonates through the audience’s mind like a memory. This unique process is interesting in its ability to portray seemingly 3D images from 2D ones, thus distorting the overall effect and challenging preconceptions surrounding art and the way it has been exhibited in the past. He admitted thinking much more about light in this series than his earlier work, demonstrating an alternative example of how light can be explored through photography and presentation.
This image depicts a schoolroom, rephotographed from an anonymous photograph by Bustamante. It features utilitarian architecture, darkness with overtones of oppression and incarceration. Perhaps, by doing this, the photographer draws parallels between the school environment and one of a prison. The windows and desks glow, suggesting a similarity in the inner and outer realities and hinting at the importance of light in bridging these two states. The location is scarce, which draws attention to the light and allows the viewer to fully appreciate its contribution to the image. Highlighting the light also adds a commonality to all the images in the series, effectively linking them together through their shared exploration of light
This image depicts a schoolroom, rephotographed from an anonymous photograph by Bustamante. It features utilitarian architecture, darkness with overtones of oppression and incarceration. Perhaps, by doing this, the photographer draws parallels between the school environment and one of a prison. The windows and desks glow, suggesting a similarity in the inner and outer realities and hinting at the importance of light in bridging these two states. The location is scarce, which draws attention to the light and allows the viewer to fully appreciate its contribution to the image. Highlighting the light also adds a commonality to all the images in the series, effectively linking them together through their shared exploration of light
His work is enlightening and challenging, in that the photography operates on ‘many psychologically different layers’. The images depict empty landscapes; devoid of events, actions or people. This absence and stillness acts as a deliberate focal point in the series, forcing the viewer to reconsider the intention of the photographer. He intended to make banal objects radiate energy and light, manipulating their surroundings to appear darker and emphasise the contrast. In ‘Lumiere’, he explores and furthers his research with light and colour, manipulating it to draw attention to specific elements. At the time of their creation, Bustamante was rejecting the ‘poetic snapshot’, an integral movement within French creative photography. Instead of trying to capture the image as a beautifully lit, romanticised version of a landscape, he stripped all external features away to expose a beauty in absence. Described instead as a ‘slow snapshot’, his work uses focal depth, detail and formal composition to ignite a heightened sensitivity to the concept of ‘a place’, providing a subjective ambiguity and allowing the audience to fully interpret the scene for themselves. His work explores the gaps between the categories of architecture, décor and photography, bridging them through his approach.
This image presents a place of leisure that emphasises its emptiness. This in turn focuses the viewer to the architecture which has been darkened to almost resemble wet ink. By doing this, Bustamante creates a paradox in which a public area (a shower room) that serves as more of a practicality than anything else has been transformed into the main point of interest in the image. He turns an everyday landscape into an artistic piece under his light and contrast direction. The absence of people is further highlighted by the state in which the room has been left; there are half-open curtains and a blacked out door. This, along with the heavy shadowing, contributes to the eeriness and forces the viewer to reconsider the image and their own surroundings.
This image presents a place of leisure that emphasises its emptiness. This in turn focuses the viewer to the architecture which has been darkened to almost resemble wet ink. By doing this, Bustamante creates a paradox in which a public area (a shower room) that serves as more of a practicality than anything else has been transformed into the main point of interest in the image. He turns an everyday landscape into an artistic piece under his light and contrast direction. The absence of people is further highlighted by the state in which the room has been left; there are half-open curtains and a blacked out door. This, along with the heavy shadowing, contributes to the eeriness and forces the viewer to reconsider the image and their own surroundings.
Throughout his career, Bustamante worked in series. The thing linking this series is his process of manipulating light and printing on perspex, combined with his preference for using found images to alter and reproduce. The earliest works in the series reproduced black and white images from architectural magazines. This corroborates his intention of exposing beauty in architecture through the deficiency of life and using light. Often the subject matter is banal and everyday, but he manages to transform the scene into something transient and past the everyday spectrum. This ambivalence is portrayed through his desire to create a link between industrial perfection and figurative abstraction; a paradox in that it distorts both the image itself and the audience’s perception of it. The viewer is confronted with an intermediate space that is out of focus yet captivating, resulting in a sense of uncertainty between space and surface remnant of the physical space he creates between the wall and his work. Bustamante has described his work as ‘a transformation of reality’, and his intention to give his image ‘a passport of eternity’.
This image is effective in its centralisation of the vanishing point, which is emphasised by the corridor leading up to it. Everything is aimed towards it, with the clean lines of the walls, windows, plants roof and floor leading the gaze to the same point. This accurately conveys his interest in geometric shapes and patterns throughout his work, highlighting the importance of framing in creating an aesthetically pleasing image. It is further accentuated by the grid motif that can be found on the wall tiles, carpet and window. Bustamante’s use of shading and shadow creates an eerie and mysterious feel, whilst maintaining the grain and antiquity of the image and its process.
This image is effective in its centralisation of the vanishing point, which is emphasised by the corridor leading up to it. Everything is aimed towards it, with the clean lines of the walls, windows, plants roof and floor leading the gaze to the same point. This accurately conveys his interest in geometric shapes and patterns throughout his work, highlighting the importance of framing in creating an aesthetically pleasing image. It is further accentuated by the grid motif that can be found on the wall tiles, carpet and window. Bustamante’s use of shading and shadow creates an eerie and mysterious feel, whilst maintaining the grain and antiquity of the image and its process.
Distortion has explored a multitude of photographic practices, discussing the variation within the theme and revealing its potential to completely transform a subject. This is done through process, production and digital manipulation, often resulting in drastically changed and visually intriguing images. Through the work's deep nature, the audience is repeatedly forced to question their fundamental assumptions about their surroundings, as well as their individual perception of reality. It spans a century, which provides a running narrative of the technological advancement that can be mapped through the changing processes of the images. Whilst all engaging, the portraiture room is particularly interesting as it is distortion on the most recognisable thing; a face. I am going to take this element of the curatorship task and develop it through my own photography.
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