Jean Kallina
Interiors
Winston Wächter Mayer Fine Art
February 20 - March 31, 2001
Opening Reception February 20, 2001 6-8 p.m.
Winston Wächter Mayer Fine Art is pleased to announce the
opening of INTERIORS, black and white photographs by Jean Kallina. Made with a medium- format camera, these gelatin
silver prints range in size from 20 by 24 inches to 50 x 60 inches. The large exhibition frames act as windows which allow the viewer to enter a perfectly preserved and
mysterious stage set.
The artist' s passion for symmetry is always exemplified by
the formal qualities each photograph contains. Simple shapes, directed light, and elegantly composed angles reflect the serene harmony Kallina strives to attain.
While the abstract quality of the photograph is immediately apparent, Kallina's subject matter is what ultimately draws the viewer in to take a closer look. In this body of work, the artist records interiors of European palaces, Shaker communities, and cultural monuments which provide
documents of times past and precious possessions preserved.
Intentionally dramatized by the use of angular light and shot from a standing position, the artist makes very clear that we are the spectator in these settings. Fragments of a decadent chandelier, a translucent curtain or a feathered pen on a desk, allude to the lost elegance and vacant mood of these spectacular sites.
Kallina's images create a romantic impression; often introverted and away from the public eye. While each photograph has the power to embody and engage us, one is ultimately reminded of a hazy dream, marked with delicate texture and soft tranquility.
Jean Kallina's work has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Interview and other publications. Her work is in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Bibliotheque Nationale, among others.
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