Siri Kaur: Field Trip
August 22, 2011 Back to News
Siri Kaur: Field Trip
August 22, 2011 - September 8, 2011
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
3001 Gallery
Graduate Fine Arts Building (IFT)
3001 S. Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Reception: Monday, September 5, 8:30 pm
“Field Trip” is a selection of works from Siri Kaur's series “HALF OF THE WHOLE.”
“Starting in 2007, I began a photographic exploration of time and light, traveling on numerous occasions to Kitt Peak in Arizona to photograph outer space. With the help of planetary scientists, I captured pictures of distant galaxies on a digital sensor attached to a Meade solar telescope. After shooting, I returned to the traditional darkroom for a series of what I term ‘experiments.’
“After shooting the initial frames, I exact a battery of darkroom experiments on my work by applying color filters and chemical drawings to both the photo negatives and positives. I follow the principles of traditional color darkroom printing, a subtractive color system, using cyan, magenta, and yellow filters to remove various colors of light from the negative. By manipulating the printing process, I dislocate the signifier from the signified, transforming distant celestial objects into light and ultimately back into physical form.
“Alongside the ‘real’ astrophotographs, I show ‘fakes,’ evidenced by such titles as Lightbulb with Sunspots Made by Hand. This dichotomy calls into question our reaction to the sublime, the dynamics of perception, illusion and immeasurable scale. ‘Half of the Whole’ re-engages with one of the simplest and most basic purposes of photography: to show us what we would otherwise remain unseen. I’m using science and technology to show my particular romantic view of photography, where the failure and power of the medium cohere in material form.”
—Siri Kaur
August 22, 2011 - September 8, 2011
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
3001 Gallery
Graduate Fine Arts Building (IFT)
3001 S. Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Reception: Monday, September 5, 8:30 pm
“Field Trip” is a selection of works from Siri Kaur's series “HALF OF THE WHOLE.”
“Starting in 2007, I began a photographic exploration of time and light, traveling on numerous occasions to Kitt Peak in Arizona to photograph outer space. With the help of planetary scientists, I captured pictures of distant galaxies on a digital sensor attached to a Meade solar telescope. After shooting, I returned to the traditional darkroom for a series of what I term ‘experiments.’
“After shooting the initial frames, I exact a battery of darkroom experiments on my work by applying color filters and chemical drawings to both the photo negatives and positives. I follow the principles of traditional color darkroom printing, a subtractive color system, using cyan, magenta, and yellow filters to remove various colors of light from the negative. By manipulating the printing process, I dislocate the signifier from the signified, transforming distant celestial objects into light and ultimately back into physical form.
“Alongside the ‘real’ astrophotographs, I show ‘fakes,’ evidenced by such titles as Lightbulb with Sunspots Made by Hand. This dichotomy calls into question our reaction to the sublime, the dynamics of perception, illusion and immeasurable scale. ‘Half of the Whole’ re-engages with one of the simplest and most basic purposes of photography: to show us what we would otherwise remain unseen. I’m using science and technology to show my particular romantic view of photography, where the failure and power of the medium cohere in material form.”
—Siri Kaur
