Upon my visit to Cynthia Greig's Subverting the (Un)conventional exhibition at the Oakland University Art Gallery, the work of Isabelle Raymond struck my attention. This 19th century American artist had an entire section dedicated a variety of her work. The most unforgettable was an Untitled room, approximately 7ftx8ftx9ft, filled with old furniture and photographs. In this dark room, the pictures were stored in an old wooden shelf that most people would be afraid to open by fear of breaking it. I explored through these pictures by using a device which held the pictures for you. Looking through this device created a blending illusion by separating each of your eyes. The image that you see throught this device completely changed what the photograph was.
The process of stumbling upon this artwork exited me more than the work itself. I felt as if I was on a scavenger hunt, exploring the depths of the room. It created a feeling of being in the artists shoes. The atmosphere was unlike an art gallery. It allowed me to escape reality and envelop myself into the artwork. As for the pictures, they reminded my of a common digital editing technique.
The artists life story was also an amazing detail to her work. She had posed as a man to avoid scrutiny. Being a woman during her lifetime restrained her from becoming a successful artist. The fact that many of her pictures had been themed as cloaking an image was extremely relevant to her life's story. I found this correlation pleasing. Her art that is more than aesthetics. It carries the message of her struggle. It can be felt through the understanding of her process.
While browsing through her assortment of photographic hallucinations, I simultaneously brainstormed on how I could implement the idea of 2 images becoming 1 new one. It would not be the same without the device but it could still become an interesting digital illusion. I could key frame the 2 images to slowly jiggle, thus reproducing new images with each displacement rather than relying on the eyes focus. This form of picture also relates to a holographic picture. The success of her work may or may not have attributed to the advancements of artistic imagery. Today, her work is easily reproducible, however, in her time she had the upper hand on the art world.
Since her photographs were untitled, it is hard to place a story with them. You seem to have to come up with one on your own. It is impossible to know if the photos were staged or real life. I believe that they were staged according to posture they had assumed. Either people in that generation didn't believe in being comfortable or they were trying to look good for the camera. Neither assumption is out of the question, however, I would like to believe the latter. Since she had set up the models in that manner, I would also assume that she had her intentions solidified prior to the photo shoot. Assuming this, her construction of the illusion of a man and a woman overlapping each other was a disturbing idea. This reflects a deep confliction in her life.
I will never meet Isabelle Raymond but I would like to think that she would be a better person today than she was in her time. She possessed an artistic cognition that granted her success. To be successful means that you are doing something right. Aside from her disregard for societies expectations and cultural position, she made her own way of living. It may not have been the easiest way, but she strove for unity. Lacking the ability of self expression may have been more devastating than the consequences of being caught. The work of Isabelle Raymond truly interprets the facets of her legend.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteIsabelle Raymond is a fictional character created by the artist, Cynthia Greig =-)