Monday, September 14, 2009

The Residual Reality photography exhibit included a diverse and well rounded group of artists. Their work differs significantly in scale, meaning, and process. Even the forms varied considerably, from Robert Heinecken’s cardboard cutouts to Scott Rankin’s video and Jyl Kelley’s pinhole camera instillation.

Despite these obvious differences however, there is clearly cohesiveness among this group. Each of these artists toy with the traditions of photography. They are occupied with questioning the notions of photography as documentary and images as the recreation of reality. Some are even negating the need for conventional photographs in the work o f photographers. Robert Heinecken describes his perspective on photography by saying, “Many Pictures turn out to be limp translations of the known world instead of vital objects which create an intrinsic world of their own. There is a vast difference between taking a picture and making a photograph,” (1).This curiosity, playfulness, and untraditional perspective among the artists resulted in an exhibit full of wit and sly humor, most predominately in Joyce Neimnana’s pieces, such as Back of a Famous Photograph, and Daniel Kaufmann’s sneaky and alluring House Home images. Even the work with less emphasis on witty experimentation was imaginative and unique, like Ellen Brook’s images shot through a screen.

More than the conceptual unity joining them, there is such an obvious personal connection between these artists. Especially during the artist’s forum, it became clear that Robert Heinecken and Ken Josephson’s legacy and artistic spirit is flowing rampantly and developing through these successful artists.

1. New York Times, May 26,2006. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/arts/heinecken.html?_r=1

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