Camera Obscura

 Camera Obscura means darkened room and has been around for far longer than our modern day equivalent. Although first built by an Iraqi scientist known as Alhacen (965-1039AD) the principle behind it had been known to scholars since the time of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Once it became portable, in a box with a lens on the front, it developed a following amongst painters of the 17th century including Vermeer and Canaletto who used it as a drawing aid. (Nowadays some artists use a projector for the same purpose) From there of course the art of photography was born when paper and metal plates were added.

View of Central Park looking north, Fall 2008. Photograph by Abelardo Morell.

Fast forward to today and an article in National Geographic showing the work of Abelardo Morell who began a journey with the camera obscura over 20 years ago.  Since then he has moved from black and white to colour, analogue to digital and upside down to our way of seeing. Originally using a darkened room to project images he now uses a floorless tent and has started working in parks and streets. Fascinating.

Tent camera image on ground, View of Jordan Pond and the Bubble mountains, acadia National Park, Maine,
March 2010 Photograph by Abelardo Morell

Upright image of the Piazetta San Marco looking south east in office, Venice, Italy 2006
Photograph by Abelardo Morell

 Another artist who has been working for years with Camera Obscura photographs is Vera Lutter. (Recently exhibited at Gagosian, W1) Her approach results in large black and white images produced in negative form usually of cityscapes and monumental structures. Her Gagosian show concentrated on her work in Egypt.

 © Vera Lutter

Chephren and Cheops Pyramids, Giza: April 12, 2010, 2010

Unique Silver Gelatin Print

14 3/8 x 21 1/8 inches

36.5 x 53.7cm