Revealing the Unseen: The Transformative Power of Experimental Photography in the Digital Age
The Alchemical Process of the Negative Image
In a compelling exploration of the intersections between photography and the evocation of the unseen, Richard Misrach delves into the essence and transformative power of the negative image. His journey, rooted in a fascination with the alchemical process of analog photography and its evolution into the digital age, reflects a profound meditation on the medium’s capability to render the familiar into the strikingly unfamiliar.
Misrach’s work, particularly through his acclaimed “Notations” series, embodies a quest to not just capture but reinterpret reality, drawing upon the influences of Ansel Adams’ photographic philosophy and John Cage’s experimental musical scores. This intersection of visual and auditory art forms culminates in a unique collaboration with his son, Jake Bloomfield-Misrach, whose musical compositions inspired by the “Notations” images, extend the dialogue between abstraction and realism, magic and materiality.
As Misrach navigates the balance between these elements, he challenges and expands our perception of photography’s role in contemporary art and culture. Through a deeper examination of his creative process and artistic vision, we uncover the transformative potential of the negative image, revealing the unseen within the familiar.
The Inspiration Behind “Notations”
Misrach’s exploration of the negative image in photography began with a simple exercise in making the familiar unfamiliar, drawing attention to the strange and unique beauty inherent in the photographic process. Starting in 1969 and up until 2006, like all photographers, he shot film. Around 1979, he began shooting 8×10″ color film, which was an even more complex and convoluted process.
“We took this most strange, elaborate process for granted. Putting clear gelatin in our cameras, exposing images to it thru a lens, creating the most unworldly mapping of the reality in our view, then putting the gelatin in an array of chemicals, and after standing in the dark for hours projecting light thru the negative onto blank sheets of paper, and then putting those pieces of paper in more trays of chemicals, which were then washed and dried. We never questioned the absolute weirdness of this prolonged and painstaking process. This is simply what had to be done to make a photograph.”
The advent of digital capture made this process obsolete, prompting Misrach to revisit the absurd and remarkable analog era. He began to wonder what it would feel like to turn the positive into a negative, exploring the creative possibilities of this reversal.
Artistic Influences: Ansel Adams and John Cage
Misrach cites two influential figures who shaped his approach to the “Notations” series: Ansel Adams and John Cage.
Ansel Adams, a renowned photographer and classical pianist, compared the photographic negative to a musical score, a simple structure open to a range of interpretations. Misrach was particularly struck by Adams’ process of making over 500 different print versions of his famous image “Moonrise over Hernandez.”
Decades ago, Misrach also came across a book by John Cage called “Notations,” where Cage simply reproduced sample musical notations by a vast range of composers, from classical to experimental, with the idea that the scores didn’t have to be performed, but that they were interesting to think of as visual, graphic art in their own right.
These two concepts – from Adams and Cage – became the foundation for Misrach’s “Notations” project, where he would explore the photographic negative as a starting point for creative exploration, much like a musical score.
Aesthetic Experience and the Negative Image
In Misrach’s work, the negative image offers a unique aesthetic experience, one that moves beyond realism and into the realm of abstraction and formal exploration. As he explains:
“When you look at negative images, you no longer escape into realism, but rather you start to see a whole new language of form. The colors and shapes take on unusual relationships, still partially referencing the real world, but breaking away in unexpected, and often beautiful forms.”
This approach is reminiscent of the abstract expressionist painters, who removed the subject matter from painting and drew the viewer’s attention to the beauty and expressiveness of color, texture, and form. In a similar way, Misrach’s “Notations” series invites the viewer to engage with the photographic medium on a deeper level, appreciating the inherent aesthetics of the negative image beyond its representational qualities.
Selection and Editing Process
Misrach’s selection and editing process for the “Notations” series was a highly subjective and intuitive one, driven by his fascination with the strange colors and novel forms that emerged from the negative images. As he describes it:
“The individual images were ultimately selected/edited based upon how interesting I found the strange colors, and novel forms. Perhaps the same way a painter would choose certain lines or splatters over others to make an abstract painting. Very subjective, definitely no formula.”
However, for the book compilation, Misrach decided to group the images into chapters or “movements,” based on subject matter, such as clouds or vegetation. This conscious structuring of the work reflects his desire to create a cohesive and immersive experience for the viewer, while still preserving the inherent abstraction and ambiguity of the individual images.
Balancing Abstraction and Realism
The tension between abstraction and realism is a central aspect of Misrach’s “Notations” series. As he explains, the colors in the images are “so abstracted, and yet the lines and forms are a full realism.”
“I think it’s the tension between those two – the abstraction and the realism in any given image – that makes the work interesting to me. The colors are otherworldly, and yet I recognize the structure of form. It’s been an incredible adventure…with so many surprises!”
This delicate balance between the familiar and the unfamiliar, the representational and the abstract, is what gives the “Notations” series its transformative power. By blending these elements, Misrach challenges the viewer’s perception, encouraging them to see the world in a new and unexpected way.
The Concept of Magic in Photography
Misrach’s description of photography as akin to magic is a testament to the medium’s ability to capture and transform reality. As he eloquently states:
“Photography is so omnipresent in our lives (think of social media) it’s like breathing. We just do it, we don’t think about what a miracle it is. We literally point a box with a window on it at the 3-D world around us, and a two-dimensional, flat image gets sucked into our machine, which can be placed on a piece of paper (or on our cell-phone.) If that ain’t magic I don’t know what is.”
This sense of wonder and magic is particularly evident in the “Notations” series, where Misrach’s manipulation of the negative image invites the viewer to reconsider the very nature of photographic representation. By embracing the medium’s alchemical properties, he creates a visual experience that is both familiar and fantastical, blurring the lines between the real and the imagined.
Future Explorations and Innovations
As Misrach continues to push the boundaries of photographic expression, he is excited by the prospect of further experimentation, particularly with the integration of emerging technologies. He is particularly interested in exploring the use of positive and negative images together, either as diptychs or split-screens, as well as incorporating AI-generated elements into his work.
“AI is truly scary and the world needs to set up strict regulations. But it is here to stay. And on the positive side—along with aiding research to cure cancer and other diseases-I would say that the potential for creative escalation of the medium to do things we never imagined possible is coming. Fast and furious. If I were younger, I would dive right in.”
Misrach’s openness to embracing technological advancements while maintaining a critical eye reflects his lifelong commitment to the creative exploration of the photographic medium. His work serves as a testament to the enduring power of photography to challenge, captivate, and transform our understanding of the world around us.
Passing the Torch: Advice for Emerging Photographers
As one of the most influential photographers of our time, Misrach offers the following advice to emerging photographers, particularly those interested in pushing the boundaries of traditional photography:
“There has never been a medium like photography, and it is about to reach previously unimaginable heights of expression and insight. To discover more about this intriguing body of work and how you can acquire your own copy, you can find and purchase the book here.”
Misrach’s words underscore the importance of embracing the ever-evolving nature of the photographic medium, and the boundless opportunities that lie ahead for those willing to experiment and innovate. By encouraging emerging artists to dive into the unknown, he inspires a new generation of photographers to continue the quest for the unseen, the transformative, and the awe-inspiring.