Illuminated paper-cuts by Rebecca Robinson that evoke the early era of photography and the techniques which pre-dated it.
“As an artist whose work focuses predominantly upon the photographic image, I have become increasingly curious about the period before the birth of photography and the techniques for capturing likeness that existed before its common use”.
– Rebecca Robinson
‘Silhouette portraiture’ or ‘shadow portraits’ were a popular way to recreate an image of oneself or loved one. It involved utilising a cast shadow of the sitter to create an outline that was in-turn hand painted, hollow-cut or cut-out to create a unique keep-sake for the procurer. The act of making an image in this way has obvious contrasts to that of taking a photograph with a camera, but in considering both photographic and silhouette aesthetics concurrently, Fixing Shadows urges viewers to reflect upon ideas surrounding time and technique, questions of the hand-made versus the mechanical, and the elementary presence of light and shadow.
DATES:
Friday 1 – Sunday 31 July 2016
Image Credit: Found image. Supplied by artist.