I am on a campaign to look at more photography. A couple of things set me off (image, “Anticipation #2,” C-print by Christine McMonagle). First were the landscape photos at the Lewis and Clark show at Moore College (see post), and my wondering what might make a landscape photo meaningful if it looks just like a landscape and nothing more.
Then there was a conversation I had with photographer Ditta Baron Hoeber a couple of days ago. She was bemoaning the closing of her favorite photo processor and printer, Pro Color. It’s a tough time to be in the photo processing business considering everyone is now printing their own photos on their desktops.
Being an analog photographer in these times of changing technology has its problems, and Ditta, being a perfectionist, now has to come up with another m.o. for achieving the look she wants. If she can’t come up with a processor who can do the job and can see what she sees, will she quit working in film? Will she get what she wants out of digital?
All of this made me dash off to see “Viewpoint,” InLiquid’s small group show of four artists–Anita Allyn, Julianna Foster, Christine McMonagle and Matthew Hollerbush–in the Painted Bride Art Center’s cafe. Ooops. It doesn’t open until Friday. The walls were still being spackled (image, Matthew Hollerbush’s “Stairway,” color photograph behind serri opaque material).
But the photos were laid out on flat surfaces, and I got a chance to look a little (not enough), and what I saw intrigued me. I don’t know who did what of the photos I saw, but surprising angles, subjects and colors seemed provocative. I also don’t know if everything here was analog, but it looked like much of the work was. The McMonagle print at the top is a C-print. I don’t know about the Hollerbush (I’m guessing film).
So I didn’t accomplish what I set out for. But I plan to go back to this show when I can actually see it. Plus there’s Anita Allyn’s video that I didn’t see at all.
