Sweetie and I went to the Cincinnati Art Museum over in beautiful Eden Park yesterday. It was a gloriously golden autumn day (even though it's November, Mother Nature seems to have stalled in warmer than usual days and sunshine). We went, specifically, to see the photographic exhibit of Jochen Lempert, a German photographer who started his career as a biologist. Since Sweetie is a biologist who is also a photographer, I thought it would be interesting.
It was interesting. Lempert still uses only film cameras and prints his own prints in black and white on some kind of grainy paper. So nothing was sharp with high contrast (things Sweetie loves). There were some lovely pieces, some interesting pieces and some pieces where Lempert was just playing around, experimenting with "what ifs" like the one of the glowworm moving across the photo-sensitive paper in a darkroom, creating a trail of lights.
All of the photos were unmatted and unframed - just the photo paper taped to the walls. I thought it would look unprofessional, but there was something very interesting in the starkness of the rooms (three rooms devoted to his work, and there was no extra charge).
You were probably not allowed to take photographs of the work, but they had a free booklet that included many of his works you saw on the wall.
2 comments:
What I found very interesting about this exhibit is that the work was just taped to the wall. I had an exhibit at a state aquarium a few years back and the work was shown in glass cases. I too chose to show my paintings unmatted and unframed, tacked to the walls with clear push pins. I wanted to give the effect of my studio walls where I do indeed tack things up for a time. I guess I'm not as weird as I thought!!!
I thought it would look unprofessional, Elizabeth, but it didn't - it gave it a close feeling, nothing between you and the print, as you stood and looked at it. Although you may still be weird! ha ha Just kidding!
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