Mariah Robertson
First published 7 August 2020
“There’s always a bit of that chemical mess at the edge of a photograph […] I enjoy trying to make something out of the unwanted thing and go deeper into the disaster.”
Mariah Robertson is a New York-based contemporary photographer. Best known for her abstract and conceptual images and photographic installations, Robertson combines technical knowledge and photography application juxtaposed with the random application in her methods.
Robertson manipulates photographic processes – for example, the artist omits and reverses specific steps in the darkroom and applies chemical treatments using instruments or tools such as brushes, sponges and spray bottles – to create unique works on paper, described by art critics as the photographic equivalent of “action paintings” (Robertson 2020).
Robertson has influenced my practice in the darkroom and in the innovative ways the artist displays immense artworks in gallery settings, including draping enormous loops from the ceiling or having the artwork traverse the entire floor in cascading undulations of chromatic brilliance (Neville 2014).
Figure 1. Mariah Robertson, 113, 2012, unique colour print on metallic paper, 30x1968 inches (762x49987mm)
Figure 2. Mariah Robertson, 154, 2014
Mariah Robertson, 16, 2014, unique chemical treatment on RA-4, 2108x1854mm
Mariah Robertson, 209, 2019, unique c-print, Ilfotrans, 760x 36940mm
Keywords
Chemical, Camera-less, Contemporary, Abstract, Photography
References
Robertson, Mariah. 2012. 113. Image. https://art21.org/artist/mariah-robertson/.
2014b. 16. Image. https://www.mbart.com/exhibitions/119/works/artworks-10103-mariah-robertson-16-2014/.
Robertson, Mariah. 2014. 154. Image. https://greg-neville.com/tag/mariah-robertson-prints/.
Robertson, Mariah. 2014. “New York Close Up, ‘Mariah Robertson's Chemical Reactions.” Art21. October 18, 2014. YouTube video, 09:21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv17mnCyq0A.
Robertson, Mariah. 2019. 209. Image. https://www.mariahrobertson.com/work/entire-box-of-photo-paper-works
Robertson, Mariah. 2020. “Tapping Into the Subconscious with Mariah Robertson” Interview by Kinji Fujishima. Fine Art Globe. https://fineartglobe.com/exhibitions/tapping-into-the-subconscious-with-mariah-robertson/.
Squires, C, Batchen, G, Baker, G & Steyerl H 2013, What Is a Photograph?, International Center for Photography and DelMonico Books, New York, NY
Floris Neusüss
Adventurous and innovative, Contemporary artist Floris Nuesüss has a great impact on my work practice, particularly in exploring shape, texture and methodology. Best known for his photograms, I am drawn to Neusüss’ willingness to think outside the box, push boundaries and explore the craft of photography.
Floris Neusüss, Nudogrammm, 1964
Floris Neusüss is a contemporary experimental German photographer known for his use of camera-less photography (photograms) … “Photograms don’t show us what’s beyond the visible, but they give us a hint of it,” Neusüss has said. “It is true that the subject resting on the photo-sensitive paper presents its reverse side to be recorded, the side that is in shadow, the shadow cast by the object itself. This intimate physical connection inscribes into the paper, and this, if you are open to it, is the real fascination of photograms: the tension between the hidden and the revealed.” … Today, his works are held in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others. (artnet, nd)
Quotes
A true pioneer of photographic art, inspired by the camera-less photography of Làszló Moholy-Nagy and by Man Ray’s Surrealist photograms, Floris Neusüss has dedicated his whole career to the practice, study and teaching of the photogram, exploring its technical and visual possibilities and pushing the boundaries of the medium. — Twenty 6 Magazine
Relevance to practice
Alternative printing, Darkroom, Film, Contact printing, Obscure, Abstraction, Tone, Texture, Questioning, Experimentation
Keywords
Photograph, Monochrome, Photography, Camera-less, Abstract, Contemporary, 20th century, Community of practice
References
Artnet n.d., Floris Neusüss, viewed 15 April 2020, <http://www.artnet.com/artists/floris-neus%C3%BCss/>
Atlas Gallery n.d., Floris Neusüss, viewed 8 May 2020, <http://www.atlasgallery.com/artists/floris-neususs>
Gosling, Emily. 2012. “Floris Neusüss: Ancient and Modern.” Design Week. https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/may-2012/floris-neususs-ancient-and-modern/.
Neusüss, Floris. 1964. Nudogramm. Image. https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/may-2012/floris-neususs-ancient-and-modern/.
Squires, C, Batchen, G, Baker, G & Steyerl H 2013, What Is a Photograph?, International Center for Photography and DelMonico Books, New York, NY