Ordover Museum – Donna Cosentino

I visited the Ordover Museum in Solana Beach today. At this museum, they normally have very bright color landscapes, but right now they are featuring all black and white photographs. One of the photographers exhibiting their work used digital photography. His exhibit was of portraits of people from India. These pieces were very impressive. The artist’s name was Lou Montrose and the exhibit’s name was “India in Black & White”. The interesting dynamic about the exhibit is most photos you see of India are flooded with bright and vibrant colors. The artist felt it would be interesting to use the grayscale to convey another kind of detail that is easily ignored with the colors. I thought it was an interesting perspective. (the image shown above actually was displayed in grayscale at the exhibit)

Another series here I found interesting was by Donna Cosentino. I was fortunate enough to meet there at gallery as well and she shared with me the processes she used to create her exhibit. She took the photos on a 35 mm camera and developed the film into slides. She then takes the slide and exposes the slide to Polaroid film. She pulls the film out, waits, pulls apart the to sections and throws out the actually photo part and uses the side with the transfer inks and stamps it onto Arches hot press water color paper.

The images are framed and matted in 12” x 16” cream colored matte and an inch thick cherry wood frame. I particularly liked the way the 4” x 3.5” images were framed in so much analogous colored negative space. This method encourages the viewer to look deeper into the photo to search for intricacies and details that may not be jumping out in the for-front. The subject of the series was of landscapes of forests, tree, and vegetation and one shot of a babbling brook and waterfall. The photos were taken mostly in locations within California state parks and forests. One photo was taken in Wisconsin and one in Quebec as well.

An interesting side note, the medium being used will not be able to be replicated for much longer. The Polaroid Company will not be producing the film or Polaroid transfers used to create this series. So in the future, a piece using this medium will be extremely limited and irreplaceable. It will be sort of a sign of the time that it came from. I thought that was kind of cool to think about.

Another interesting part about this medium is the unusual colors that come from it. This series uses all cool colors like blues, grays, and indigoes. It is a very subtle and natural looking gradation of color. Also it creates a very interesting light using the watercolor paper, kind of a creamy white warm light to contrast with the cool positive shapes and lines. The texture of the paper creates a very organic feel to the image. Especially since the series is of trees and woods and such, it is very appropriate. The grain of the paper enhances the image of the grain of a tree’s bark.

I also found the amount of craftsmanship and working with the hands to create this finished product to be a point of interest. When working in Adobe Photoshop there may be a detachment from the concept to the finished product you may loose some of that creative experience in building the printed piece. You loose a sort of hands on connection to what you are making. In Photoshop it is more visualizing an intellectual idea and finding ways to achieve the idea. It can at times take allot of guess work for the results of the actual finished printed piece from the screen to the product in your hand. I think this is an interesting dynamic. There is something a little more sterile about the printing of a Photoshop file. And perhaps something more intimate about the working with your hands and the developing of the negatives. I don’t know just something I am pondering. An idea to play with, definitely not something I know enough about yet to preach. And don’t get me wrong I love Photoshop. There have been many times when I have spent hours and hours on a piece and felt very intimate with the finished product but not every time. I don’t know, just food for thought I guess. All in all the Ordover Museum an interesting and educational experience.