The Photographic Object at the Photographers Gallery 24th April - 14th June 2009

 

  1940 – 2008, from the series Second Hand Portrait © Maurizio Anzeri

The internationally renowned artists in this exhibition use stitching, cutting, piercing and punching to explore the ambiguous space between two and
three dimensions.
Dissatisfied with the conventional function of photography as a surface that reproduces the external world, these artists test the materiality of their medium. Through a variety of distinct propositions, this exhibition traces an eclectic journey from the potential of photography to exceed its medium to relishing its hermetic and decorative function.
Artists include Maurizio Anzeri (Italy, b.1969), Walead Beshty (UK, b.1976), Annette Kelm (Germany, b.1975), Gerhard Richter (Germany, b.1932), Alina Szapocznikow (Poland, 1926-1973), Wolfgang Tillmans (Germany, b.1968), Andy Warhol (USA, 1928 - 1987) and Catherine Yass (UK, b.1963).
Sculptor Vanessa Billy has created a related installation in the ground floor Project Space titled Surfaces for the mind to rest or sink into. For more information and images of the installation click here.

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RADIOLOGY ART

This is a CT scan of a barbie doll. Surprisingly, she has a rather detailed skeletal structure, most extensively present in the legs. Note the knee and hip joints. She has a prominant "rib cage" seen best in the movie below. She also has a prominent skull giving her that famous high-cheekboned face.
THE PROJECT
In the summer of 2007, artist and medical student Satre Stuelke started the Radiology Art project. Dedicated to the deeper visualization of various objects that hold unique cultural importance in modern society, this project intends to plant a seed of scientific creativity in the minds of all those inclined to participate.
METHODS
Stuelke acquires the images on an older four-slice CT scanner that is used for research. Most scan parameters include a 120kV tube voltage, 100mA current, 0.625mm slice thickness and interval, 1:1 pitch, 1.25mm beam collimation, and a speed of 1.25mm/rotation. The resulting DICOM images are then processed in Osirix software on a Macintosh iMac computer. Colors are assigned based on the varying densities of materials present throughout the object. Depending on the spread of densities within a particular subject, black or white backgrounds are chosen. Images are further processed in Adobe Photoshop for proper contrast and balance.

The Mane Story

The hairstylist Acacio da Silva and photographer Julian Wolkenstein have given us a genuine funny (fashion?) moment with their humanized horse portraits.

Even if the artists didn’t have a concrete reason nor commission to, well how shall we put this “give horses a good hair day”, photographer Wolkenstein commented that occasionally, “it’s important to do personal projects just for fun, not to sell anything”.

Don’t be fooled however by the images ridiculous side – according to the artists the concept is to reveal the human obsession with refining the best parts of the body.

Once the team decided to use horses as their models, attention was placed on their manes, adding bizarre, astonishing and unique extensions. “Apart from casting horses and preparation work which took a few months, each horse took a full day to shoot” they told a U.K newspaper.

Julian Wolkenstein
Acacio da Silva