"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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