The exhibition “A New and Mysterious Art” presented recent work by several different artists who not only acknowledged the mass potentials encaged in various primitive forms of photography but also weaved their antique techniques into their own work of art. Among various images exhibited, Pablo, from the series “Letter to my grandchildren 5” by Matthias Olmeta grabbed my attention, first with its overwhelming pitch-black background and the deep gaze of the young man’s portrait in the middle, and then with its detailed, gold letterings inscribed on the portrait which seemed to convey an important message.
Matthias Olmeta created the photograph through a series of wet plate collodion process. Using a warm black background instead of a transparent glass, Olmeta created an ambrotype, a positive photograph, on an acrylic glass, thereby adding on seriousness and solemnity to the atmosphere of his work with different shades of shadows all the while preserving a sense of reality by placing a focus on the face of the young man. Such use of primitive methods demanded immediacy and urgency, which emerged out as one of the most unique features of the photograph. Furthermore, unlike the photos taken by digital cameras and phones with programs that were already planned out by another person, the entire process of creating the photograph by building up necessary equipment and environment that resemble the primitive photographic techniques gave the artist the sole power and authority to his work as he could control the medium and thereby manipulate the effects and possible outcomes. Such advantages allowed the artist to express his personal insights and message more directly towards the audience.
Besides the antique photographic techniques, the work Pablo, from the series “Letter to my grandchildren 5” has more element to it. On the surface of the portrait is inscribed a letter to people in the future. The letter is written in gold leaf and it covers the whole photograph evenly. However, when having a closer look at the letter, one can realize that the letter is indecipherable because not only is it written in three different languages, but it is also scraped from the back of the photograph, which means that the entire letter is in backwards. The first step that one should take in order to decipher the letter would be to use a mirror, just like some of the works of Leonardo Da Vince (who also created his work backwards). By having the photograph black and white, the artist might have attempted to express the present as a past for the people in the future whom the letter is written to. The gaze of the young man can also suggests that the letter might include the artist’s concerns about the current world and his hope that the people in the future would either remedy the problems, or, in the least address the issues and attempt to tackle them.
Michelle’s commentary struck my attention because it was also the piece that captured my interest when visiting the Howard Greenberg Gallery. At first glance, you are immediately engaged as the subject of the photo’s piercing eyes seem to tell a story. They say the eyes are the windows to a person’s soul, but in this case the phrase rings true. So I like how she touched upon that aspect of the piece and also noticed its impact. I also appreciated how she spent time going through how the photograph was developed and how it played a role in the ultimate result of the artwork. For example, she picked up how the primitive methods employed by the artist enabled him to control and manipulate the effect of the photo as opposed to digital photos that are all developed similarly. Because there are unique and different ways to develop photos using these primitive methods, it also gives the photo unique qualities. I also liked the reference to another artist (Leonardo DaVinci). Overall this commentary of the art was informative as it covered a spectrum of aspects regarding the piece.