The photos on view now at David Zwirner Gallery were taken over the course of three years using a digital camera and a variety of colored filters to produce a dynamic spectrum of light and color. Johnson’s subject, the Glass House (and it’s 47-acre compound), was designed by Philip Johnson and built in 1949 in New Canaan, CT. The techniques used to produce the images, along with the subject, make this exhibit a must-see. In a statement regarding his show, Welling says:
“I’ve been using the word ‘filter’ as a noun but it’s also a verb. A filter lets some wavelengths of light through and certain kinds of information to seep in. in addition to plastic, colored filters, I introduced clear glass, clear plastic, fogged plastic, pieces of glass that were slightly uneven and tinted, and finally a diffraction filter that breaks light into the spectrum.
“Although the Glass House is symmetrical (the front is the same as the back), I prefer a frontal view because you can see through the house to the landscape directly west. This is the aspect of the house that is perhaps most fascinating to me. This big glass box, plunked down in the Connecticut landscape, seems like a conceptual sculpture, a gigantic lens in the landscape. When I realized I could make the glass red or add reflections to the face of this supposedly transparent house, my project became a laboratory for ideas about transparency, reflectivity, and color.”
Check out our preview of the exhibit below, and be sure to hit up David Zwirner to see these stunning photos in person. Will you make the trip to check out the show?
David Zwirner, 525 West 19th Street, 212.727.2070. Until April 24th.
about 3 years ago
Abbie
Totally gorgeous!