Icebox Gallery presents: “Route Eight-O-Nine” by Umberto Stefanelli

 & “Dolls” by Howard M. Christopherson

Vi segnalo con piacere due mostre, che saranno inaugurate domani all’ICEBOX GALLERY di Minneapolis: http://www.iceboxminnesota.com

I suggest two exhibitions, that will open tomorrow in Minneapolis at ICEBOX GALLERY: http://www.iceboxminnesota.com

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Icebox Gallery presents: 

”Route Eight-O-Nine” by Italian Photographer Umberto Stefanelli

This is the U.S. debut exhibit of Umberto Stefanelli’s new work. Route Eight-O-Nine are made from a collage of Chinese bank notes and Polaroid emulsion transfers that are photographed as a whole, and then digitally printed in limited edition. This work blurs the lines between collage and photography and original and copy. Route Eight-O-Nine is not an actual place found on a Google map; this is a personal place within the artist’s imagination, a place for creative departure on pathways crisscrossed and full of the personal histories and encounters acquired along the journey of his life. The name Eight-O-Nine is derived from Umberto Stefanelli’s long time use of the now extinct Polaroid 809 film.
Umberto Stefanelli’s artwork begins with 8×10 Polaroid film of a close-up image of Mao Tse-Tung acquired from Chinese currency and then transferring the images to paper. Stefanelli separates the gelatin layer of the film and adheres it to fine art paper to create each collage. The Polaroid image is very thin and transparent allowing the other elements, in this case, real currency, to be visible through the film layers and tiny wrinkles that appear to be three-dimensional. In May 2008 the original 8 collaged pieces were shown in Shanghai, China and all sold to one collector. The Icebox Gallery exhibit features the Umberto Stefanelli edition of Digigraphie Prints. The name Digigraphie is a quality issue of limited edition prints from Epson.
The iconic image of Mao Tse-Tung and Chinese currency seem appropriate to be contemplated at this time in world history. In Umberto Stefanelli’s collage work the use of currency assumes another purpose as an aesthetic element of his art. The bank note itself is photographed as if it is a landscape or location isolating and appropriating the Mao Tse-Tung portrait. The photographic image of Mao‘s face is enlarged and applied over the currency. The color scheme of the differing denomination dictates the look of each work of artwork.

Title: “Route Eight-O-Nine”, Polaroid Transfer Collage by Umberto Stefanelli Opening: 7 PM ~ 11 PM Saturday, February 6th, 2010 exhibited through Saturday, May 1st.

Icebox Gallery presents: 

”Dolls” new photographic work by Howard M. Christopherson

Dolls is a body of work of a collection of twenty close-up portraits of porcelain headed dolls photographed in natural light in the same way a real person would be. The effect is intriguing, enchanted, lifelike, adorable and sometimes eerie.

”I have always been interested in photographing mannequins, dolls and masks but this work is unique because it is derived from one woman’s collection of porcelain dolls all shot in the same light giving them a cohesiveness and sisterhood. There is magic in these green, brown and blue eyes that I hope to capture, they transport me to a place somewhere between reality and fabrication. ” -Christopherson 

The history of dolls begins in the prehistoric times. Porcelain dolls go back to 1770’s when the doll heads were manufactured in Cornwall, England. This collection of dolls belongs to Kay and they were all given to her beginning in the 1960’s. These are not extraordinary but they are beautiful dolls, not museum pieces or extremely rare, but some of them have lifelike eyelashes and moving eyes. Others have their lashes and eyebrows painted on. Most of the dolls have glass eyes that would move when the doll is tilted. Each doll has a distinctive cherub look, air-brushed pink cheeks, lifelike hair, dressed with lace and some are adorned with jewels. No doubt that each doll is dressed to attend a special tea party with friends. 

Some of the dolls have scrambled hair; presumably when a child played with Kay’s dolls, but Kay had no children of her own. She has lived her life in South Dakota in a very small town. She calls her house “The Doll House.” This is most of Kay’s collection of porcelain dolls. These dolls were photographed as they were found, some dusty and some have cracked eyes. The dust seems to make the skin look even more real and long strands of hair go in and out of focus that gives them life. 

Some questions that can be asked when looking at these images are; Where does the “soul” of a person begin to be captured in photography? Is a photograph of an artificial doll almost as revealing of personality as that of real person if both are transferred to the same two dimensions and captured in the same light? How much are we affected by Hollywood’s portrait of sinister dolls? Why is it that dolls sometimes appear eerie or ghostly even if they are an incent child’s toy.

Title: “Dolls”, Color photography by Howard M. Christopherson – People, Places & Dreams Opening: 7 PM ~ 11 PM Saturday, February 6th, 2010 exhibited through Saturday, May 1st.