Jem Southam / Vaucottes / February 2006 / 46.5 x 55.25 inches / edition of 6 / chromogenic dye coupler print / © Jem Southam. Courtesy of the artist and Robert Mann Gallery

I almost have to stop using my preamble “I’m not usually a fan of photography, but…” A great example of abstract photography. For me these photos are about the colors and the compositions. They become something more than a literal record of the cliffs of Normandy. The geometry of the compositions create a powerful sense of space that for me communicate the embodied feeling of standing at the cliffs. William Myers writing in the New York Sun had this to say:

What I see in Mr. Southam’s images is a meticulous use of found materials to produce complex works of abstract design. They are like the nonobjective paintings of mid-century except, of course, they are objective. Or they are like highly patterned Islamic art, except the patterns do not recur. Colors, shapes, and scale are the elements of these sophisticated compositions. [Read more…]

Jem Southam: The Rockfalls of Normandy
March 10 - May 20
Robert Mann Gallery
www.robertmann.com