1.02.2015

LUIS MALLO: Interruptions from Wm Hunt

Photograph © Luis Mallo

 Photograph © Luis Mallo

Photograph © Luis Mallo

 A note to me from Photography Curator and Collector, William Hunt:

Luis Mallo’s exhibition “Interruptions” opens next Thursday at Praxis Gallery in Chelsea. Go see it and tell your friends to also. 

I love Luis. When I became a dealer, he was one of the first photographers I championed. I debuted a classic looking body of work “Passengers”. These are black and white studies of subway riders' hands: wonderful typologies, printed gorgeously. 

He went on to develop other substantial portfolios, including “Reliquarium”: moody, spectral images of enigmatic spaces, also in black and white. Then switching to color, he created “Laminas”: studies of stained glass windows from behind. 

In Camera”, and “Open Secrets” are also considerations of seemingly closed off spaces - the first ones are cityscapes that play with depth, looking at openings in wall and fences seeing what’s beyond. Then moving into storerooms in museums, similar considerations of what’s not seen.

It has been a steady career, and like most artists he made room for a full life with marriage, a son, a full time position as an art director.  “Interruptions” is not intended as a description of the career but rather the way he photographs, stopping to see as he goes. “Interruptions” includes new work and some older work, all part of the same trajectory.

I hope to see you there,

Dancing Bear
Praxis NY, 541 West 25th Street, NYC
January 8 – February 21, 2015 

In this exhibition Luis Mallo presents a group of visually arresting images meant to stimulate us to question notions of familiarity. With this series Mallo wants us to understand that the manner in which we perceive our surroundings is contingent by nature. Most of what we see and experience is illusory and therefore, deceptive. His scenes reveal this illusory nature by offering partially concealed and most often perplexing representations of the surrounding landscape and its various props. For Mallo, Interruptions is not an outcome, but a vital process, a way of looking that may offer a fresh perspective. As previously done with other series, he invites us to look deeper and unearth that which lies latently waiting to be discovered under the veil of familiarity.

2 comments:

the plant gardener said...

I like his view from the 'other' side of the glass

Margaret Neubauer said...

Wonderful! Interpreting our world. I like them all, love the first one. Great photos! Thank you for sharing.