New Realities

Maggie Taylor

Jerry Uelsmann

I spent the past few days in San Diego. On Sunday, I was happy to learn they had a museum dedicated solely to photography. Then, I was about a million times happier to learn their primary exhibit is featuring the work of Maggie Taylor, who is one of my favorite living artists (photography or otherwise).

The exhibit was a dual show, with the other star being photographer Jerry Uelsmann, whose work I was unfamiliar with. It was strange how many of their works co-related, though they were created in different ways, in different cities, in different years.  I didn't realize until I sat down to write this that they are married.

Taylor uses a flatbed scanner and Photoshop (and daguerreotypes and toys) to create her surreal history-meets-fantasy creations. Having a look at her catalog, it's easy to see why she was the right person to illustrate the  Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland in 2008.

Uelsmann is a master of the darkroom, splicing as many as twelve negatives into his final image, changing the size of many of them as he goes. He's human Photoshop, which completely blew me away. As his wikipedia entry points out, many of his images can be accomplished in less than one day with computers. Thinking about what he was accomplishing fifty years ago, though, showing surrealism via photographic lens, film, and darkroom, he would have been a sorcerer to someone like me. 

Jerry Uelsmann

Think about this picture. No photoshop, all darkroom. It is magic.

Jerry Uelsmann

This was my favorite one. The digital copy doesn't come close to doing it justice. The print at MOPA was much more clear and light than this reproduction. I'm not sure if its the same woman in the doorway and in the foreground, but I like to think it is and that whatever's beyond that door is making her happy.

Maggie Taylor

From Alice. I don't know what it's called but I like to call it "Cheshire Cat Grin," as it reminds me of the Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks song "Baltimore."

Maggie Taylor

I want this hairdo...and jacket.