{"id":1571,"date":"2013-03-29T01:19:23","date_gmt":"2013-03-29T05:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/?p=1571"},"modified":"2013-05-07T11:26:05","modified_gmt":"2013-05-07T15:26:05","slug":"faking-it-at-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/articles\/faking-it-at-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art\/","title":{"rendered":"“Faking It” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FAKING-Man-Juggling-His-Own-Head_Unidentified-artist\"<\/p>\n

“Faking It:\u00a0Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/strong>
\n by Claudia Eve Beauchesne<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop” (11 October 2012-27 January 2013) traces the history of doctored photographs from 1839, when the medium was introduced, to the 1990s, when graphic editing computer programs became the most popular method of altering photographic images. Although many of the photographs included in the exhibition were modified by juxtaposing or superimposing several exposed negatives to create convincingly realistic images, the exhibition includes few pieces that show signs of physical manipulations. Instead, rows of mid-sized prints line the gallery walls, accompanied by texts and diagrams explaining what modifications were made and how they were achieved.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, the works that stand out are the ones in which the hand of the photographer\/collagist is discernible. A pocket-sized ambrotype \u201cReliovo\u201d portrait of a boy, taken by an anonymous photographer in the 1860s, is particularly absorbing. Most of the backdrop surrounding the subject has been scraped off and an image of a rural landscape was inserted behind it, creating the illusion of depth. Another highlight: William Henry Jackson\u2019s 1906 view of the canyon of the Rio de Las Animas Perdidas (River of Lost Souls) in Colorado. Jackson\u2019s original photograph was altered by erasing trees, adding rapids and rock formations from various negatives, painting faraway mountains and then rephotographing the collage to turn it into a picturesque postcard. More than the final print, it\u2019s Jackson\u2019s ingenious photomontage that delights; an extreme, imaginary version of a sublime landscape<\/p>\n

Lacking in supporting ephemera and generic in its presentation, \u201cFaking It\u201d seems better suited to the book format – the exhibition catalogue is an engrossing read filled with curator Mia Fineman\u2019s insightful essays. Smaller in scale and conceived as an addendum to \u201cFaking It,\u201d the exhibition \u201cAfter Photoshop: Manipulated Photography in the Digital Age\u201d features conceptually sophisticated series of photomontages and digitally doctored images presented in dynamic groupings. It should be noted that both exhibitions were sponsored by Adobe, which explains the museum\u2019s decision to divide the history of altered photography into pre- and post-Photoshop. This curatorial choice exposes the way in which corporations can manipulate art institutions and, by extension, art history.<\/p>\n

“Faking It” travels to the National Gallery of Art<\/a> in Washington, DC, 17 February to 5 May 2013, and The Museum of Fine Arts<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Houston, Texas, 2 June to 25 August 2013.<\/p>\n

This Exhibition Review originally appeared in Issue Three. To learn more about the world of collage,\u00a0SUBSCRIBE<\/a>\u00a0to Kolaj or PURCHASE ISSUE THREE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

INFORMATION<\/h3>\n

Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/strong>
\n1000 Fifth Avenue
\nNew York, New York 10028
\nUSA
\n(212) 535-7710<\/p>\n

Hours:
\nTuesday-Thursday, 9:30AM-5:30PM
\nFriday-Saturday, 9:30AM-9PM
\nSunday,\u00a09:30AM-5:30PM<\/p>\n

MAP<\/a> | WEBSITE<\/a>\u00a0| FACEBOOK<\/a><\/p>\n

Image:<\/strong>
\nMan Juggling His Own Head<\/em>
\nby unidentified artist
\nalbumen silver print from glass negative
\ncirca 1880
\nCollection of Christophe Goeury. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

11 October 2012-27 January 2013<\/p>\n

In Issue Three, Kolaj contributor Claudia Eve Beauchesne reviewed this show tracing the history of doctored photographs, from photography’s beginnings in 1839 through the 1990s, when software programs became the preferred method for altering photographic images.<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,11],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/FAKING-Man-Juggling-His-Own-Head_Unidentified-artist.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QTD7-pl","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1264,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/issues\/issue-three-fragments-ideas\/","url_meta":{"origin":1571,"position":0},"title":"Issue Three: Fragments & Ideas","author":"kasini","date":"15 January 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Contents Kolaj editor Benoit Depelteau talks about fragments and ideas in collage Billy Mavreas explores the textures & plans of resonance of collage artist Jacob Whibley. 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