|
.
.
.
.
|
A
brief of the article By:
Homa Edalat
Reprinted from:
Honar Nameh,
University of Art, Tehran,
No. 20,
2003
|
.
Seeing the world's
objects through an unfamiliar window, called inner
vision, and connecting transformed pictures, with the
realm of imagination that is the result of a mystical
and occult intuition, reveals an unreal and ideal
world that may have tempted artists through the ages.
Even though the modern world has, though the
development of technology on the one hand, and
accumulation of capital on the other, pushed society
toward ever increasing mechanization, these great
social transformations took a different turn in the
world of art.
We find here a reaction to a world that is fast
emptying of spiritual values. Even though the tendency
toward subjectivity and unfamiliar elements may be
construed as providing a means of escaping external
psychological pressures, it nevertheless opened a new
window to artists, especially those who consciously
utilized the achievements of the industrial world.
What we call "Photomontage" today may be one
of the most straightforward means of expressing the
realm of subjectivity and imagination. This trend,
which began with the birth of photography, developed
further under the influence of surrealism, opening the
way for indirect expression, but with objective or
non-objective elements.
Images from the world of imagination that at times
could not find objective equivalents for manifestation
were represented in the most abstract forms, and at
times through strange and unexpected combinations and
permutations of some of the most objective elements.
In contemporary photography, it can be said that Jerry
Uelsmann has used the rich heritage of the surrealism
and photomontage to step boldly in the realm of
imagination with more precision and technically. His
boldness, dynamic subjectivity and fluid thought,
which have masterfully and intelligently utilized his
medium, have resulted in unprecedented or rare
pictures.
Since I am particularly interested in painting or
photography image to linger or in my memory, to
continue its existence, works such as Uelsmann's can
rob me of my intelligence and spirit, particularly
those works that combine the human figure with natural
elements, or the ones that transform the sky and earth
into a new appearance.
In most of his works, the pulse of life beats in each
element of the photograph. They transport me in a
beguiling voyage beyond the familiar and the mundane,
leaving all of my subjective equations and prejudices
in shambles. Is it not the duty of the artist to rouse
against habit and custom?
.
|