Event 1

Event 1: Cut! Paper Play in Contemporary Photography

15 April 2018

Me Standing Next to Partition 31
by Christiane Feser

I attended this exhibition at the Getty on Saturday April 14th with my friend, Aman, who is also taking DEMSA 9 this quarter. The exhibit itself was located very close to light up photographs from the 19th century, which was a fascinating juxtaposition to the contemporary geometric pieces being displayed for the exhibit we were there to see. The entire area was dedicated to 6 photographers who use paper and pictures, with different geometries, to create their visual craft. I personally enjoyed the work of Christiane Feser, Soo Kim, and Christopher Russell, who use cutting, incising, layering, or folding techniques to introduce a tactile element into photography, which is usually considered a more 2-dimensional art form.

(Repeating the words, as if
to understand better) by Soo Kim

Soo Kim’s work really illustrates this 3-dimensions quality with the work “(Repeating the words, as if to understand better).” This image is inkjet prints hand cut and layered on top of each other to create a more realistic dimensioning.  The photographs compare nicely to the contemporary lines and blank openness. The eye is truly drawn to the work in order to dissect this visual difference. The piece itself is very similar to the ideas seen in our week 2 discussions of the relations of mathematics and art. The geometric shapes of the lines and the way the photographs are layered onto each other give the piece a deeper artistic interpretation. 

Explosion #31 by Christopher Russell

On the other hand, Christopher Russell uses razorblades in his work “Explosion #31” to scratch pigmented print with plexiglass to create the texture and depth he desires. The black and white image does not do justice to the piece, which has more shadows and contrast in real life when a person is able to move around the room to view it from different angles. It is almost as if you could reach your hand into the light and transport yourself into the picture.

Overall I highly recommend my classmates go see the exhibit Cut! Paper Play in Contemporary Photography at the Getty. It expands on the conceptual ideas of dimensions mentioned in our week 2 discussion of Flatland, and shows the depth of geometric artistic renditions of modern photography. The combination of math and art were necessary to showcase the true unique qualities of the pieces of work displayed. 

Parking Ticket from Saturday April 15th at The Getty

References

Abbott, Edwin. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. London: Seeley and Co., 1884. Print.

Lang, Robert J. “Origami Mathematics.” Origami Mathematics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.langorigami.com/science/math/math.php>.

Oullette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover Magazine. Kalmback Publishing Co., 01 Nov. 2001. Web. 13 Apr. 2017. <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock>.