BLINK // Mariah Robertson’s Unconventional Photography

BLINK is a series of micro-posts that will focus on individual artists. Honing in on select work or works, each post will be a fleeting snapshot of art activity from around the world, one that hopefully inspires and prompts deeper investigations.

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Mariah Robertson – “Untitled” (2010), Unique color print on metalic paper, 142 x 203 cm; courtesy of American Contemporary Gallery

Mariah Robertson is an artist based in New York who focuses mostly on unconventional photographic works. A toxic working space, the dark room, is where the artist spends most of her time creating her unusual prints. She is open to subverting the conventions of traditional photographic processing by exploring different chemical treatments and exposing the paper to light leaks. She mounts different objects over metallic paper, creating vibrant colours and textures.The experimental procedure results in unexpected textures and images which are alluring to watch. It is common to see viewers leaning closely to the images in order to better see the colours and patterns, although after long examination traces of nudes appear from beneath the layers, adding a playful and provocative element to her work.

Robertson actively rejects any limits to her art: her impulse to explore has led her to manipulate the format of her work. The pieces presented in American Contemporary Gallery are large-scale sculptural forms of photography, a modern version of abstract expressionist works. The canvas is no longer restricted by a frame, in Robertson’s new works the photographic image spills off the wall, gaining shape and movement from the form of its material and not by the image represented on the page. These large scale pieces are seemingly boundless and reminiscent of action painting.

Installation View (2011), works by Mariah Robertson, courtesy of American Contemporary Gallery