This week I got a chance to visit the Sidney Mishkin Gallery of Baruch College. The gallery is hosting a show call Recasting the Figure in Photography. The main themes were portraits, diversity, and identity. The exhibit features famous photographers from as early as the 1930s to the late 1980s. At first I was a bit skeptical about visiting the gallery but since it was a class trip orchestrated by Professor Sussman, I had no other choice. It was my second visit to a photography gallery for a report and I had the illusion that Baruch College could not suffice as a gallery host. I’m sure the recent budget cuts for the art department would support my assumption. Despite the skepticism, I found myself to be astonished by the work.
This gallery has seemed to increase my affection for photography and my appreciation for the black and white film more than ever. As soon as I walked in I caught a glance of a photo taken by Elliot Erwitt, which showed a mannequin staring at a woman walking by. Of course the real logic would be the woman was staring at the mannequin but the photo was shot in the perspective view of the mannequin which gave this surreal feeling that the object was the live subject. For a split second, the photo gave me this bizarre feeling that I was dreaming and the atmosphere of the photo felt as real as the print itself.
I moved on to another photo by Elliot Erwitt that displayed which looked to be a family enjoying a game of catch with baseballs The only catch is that the whole family was completely nude. There was the male figure in the middle holding a glove and baseballs along with a couple of nude women and children in the outfield. Now if these people had their clothes on it would be just another boring snapshot. I think this is a well thought out photo using artistic and comedic values. This supports my idea that every artist has their own perceptions on creativity. Being able to transform ones imagination into their work is wonderful. For Ervitt, it was his clever concepts that left the viewer thinking but with a smile on their face.
There was another photo that stood out to me but not because it was printed large and took up a chunk of the center wall but rather the content within. It was a portrait of a half gorilla, half man, taken by Cindy Sherman. The figure seemed believable at first glance that it was a gorilla ape. Upon further examination of the photo which was hard to make out because of the grass hiding the figure, I concluded that I was completely clueless to what was going on in the photo. The photo left me questioning the idea and concept which may occur sometimes in the art and design world. A viewer could be unsure of the concept expressed by the artist and might need further information. Shortly after, I was informed by Professor Sussman that Cindy Sherman was a sort of studio photographer which set up photo shoots like this. I probably would have never thought of such a concept like Cindy Sherman has. This photo further supports my idea on an artist’s unique ability to create work connected their imagination.
This idea brought me back to my first report which consisted of my theory on unrealistic aspects in realistic concepts and bringing them together to create a truly unique impression to all who view their work. I must say, as an artist, our imagination is truly our greatest tool.