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Indepth Arts News:
"Redeeming Values: Alternative Speed Graphic Photography by Teresa Saska"
2004-09-01 until 2004-09-28
Midwest Photo Exchange, MPX Gallery
Columbus, OH,
USA United States of America
This collection of photographic images, all from the
4x5 Speed Graphic camera, have been described as
ghost-like and ethereal, evoking the strange moodiness
of dreams. The lenses vary from high-quality to a
simple single element magnifying lens. The ìfilmî,
usually print paper of various tone and texture, is
processed digitally or with chemical reversal or
solarization. The simple lens effect leads the
viewerís eye to the more focused center while enticing
scant glances toward the ever blurring edges. Print
paper negatives come out distinctly high in contrast.
Combined with the simple lenses, this effect brings
radiance to the central subjects and gives darker
backgrounds the texture of storm clouds or a rough
sea. Solarization adds another variation, creating
bright outlines and mysterious speckled patterns. The
common thread thru these images is the appearance of
some otherwise hidden characteristics in the subjects,
suggesting something spiritual and a sense of
continuity with their surroundings.
Artist's statement.
When I need a diversion from stress and routine,
photography not only gives me that but it helps me
appreciate pieces of the world I would not otherwise
notice. This show of alternative speed graphic images
is about a process that, for me, brings out something
ethereal in my subjects and suggests a memory from a
distant time and place. Setting up the Speed Graphic
is a ritual I find soothing, and the act of composing
an image on the ground glass turns my attention to the
beauty of complexity and paradox. The work can be
painstaking but it frees me from expectation. Itís an
experiment in fun. Working with paper instead of
film provides an element of childlike play. The
alternative lenses and chemical manipulation of the
paper add steps which demand more attention to detail.
The unpredictable results are often a pleasant
surprise. I find redemption in this sequence of
putting all my heart into the rigorous technical
details, then surrendering the results to fate.
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