Shadow Catchers Exhibition: Camera-less Photography

What intrigued me into going to the Shadow Catchers Exhibition was the strap line of 'camera-less photography'. Naively I couldn't comprehend how a photograph would or could be taken without a camera and I had never heard of it before either. The five artists, Floris Neusüss, Pierre Cordier, Susan Derges, Garry Fabian Miller and Adam Fuss, showcased in this exhibition create there work on photographic paper by casting shadows and manipulating light, or chemically treating the surface of the paper. The bewildering thing about this exhibition is not only the concept of the technique used when creating such beautiful artwork but just how varied the results are between the artists work. 

Adam Fuss
'Invocation' 1992
Dye destruction print photogram

There are a variety of techniques used to create camera-less photographs however I am just going to concentrate on the two most common which are the photogram and the chemigram.

Chemigrams are made by directly manipulating the surface of photographic paper, often with varnishes or oils and photographic chemicals. They are produced in full light and rely on the maker's skill in harnessing chance for creative effect. 

Photograms are made by placing an object in contact with a photosensitive surface in the dark,  and exposing both to light. Where the object blocks the light, either partially or fully, its shadow is recorded on the paper.The photogram artist is not able to predict the results in the viewfinder of a camera, and often works in the dark.

Garry Fabian Miller
'Breathing in the Beech Wood, Homeland, Dartmoor, Twenty-four Days of Sunlight, May 2004'
Dye destruction prints

A common theme throughout the exhibition which can be seen running throughout all the artists work is nature such as the artists study of form, thunderstorms, leaves and animals. 

Floris Neusüss
'Untitled, Berlin, 1962'
Gelatin-silver print photogram

When you first walk into the exhibition you are confronted by Floris Neusüss's huge silhouettes and shadows of the female body. The way in which he captures the form encourages the viewer to contemplate the essence of life, the images creates a sense of abandonment, a kind of surreal detachment from reality and gentility. To me Floris's work really captures the naivety that can be created through these techniques as through the contrast of the shadow and light, black and white colours create a kind of movement and stillness and the form conveys a kinda of embryonic state. Perhaps the most emotive example the piece aptly named, 'Be Right Back'. the piece contains a wooden chair that has been place on top of the image of the shadow of a seated woman in the process of getting up. 

Floris Neusüss
'Be Right Back' 1984/87'
Gelatin-silver print and wooden chair

 This exhibition is definitely a must see, its always nice to see a completely new weird concept that I haven't heard of before.