





Penelope Umbrico
Range: Masters of Photography, 2017
Archival pigment prints
Various dimensions ranging from 40 x 52 in. to 11 x 14 in.
Further images
Range considers the analog history of photography within the digital landscape. For this project, Umbrico rephotographed iconic images of mountains in various online and print media such as Aperture's Masters...
Range considers the analog history of photography within the digital landscape. For this project, Umbrico rephotographed iconic images of mountains in various online and print media such as Aperture's Masters of Photography books with her iPhone and processed these images through the multiple filters of the camera apps available—an overwhelming number of which simulate the mistakes of analog film photography such as light leaks and chemical burns. Here, photo grain, dot-screen, pixel, and screen resolution collide, performing undulating moirés while the hallucinogenic colors of the camera app filters blend with the disorienting effects of the iPhone's gravity sensor, dislodging any perception of stability in the mountain, the Master (most often gendered as male), or the photographic medium. In this work, the mountain—the oldest landmark, site of orientation, and spiritual contemplation—becomes unstable, mobile, has no gravity, and changes with each iteration. If light is the first and foremost element of all photography, the role of light in these apps is inverted. These "leaks" are the result of an algorithm loaded into the vacuum of a chip, capable of producing nearly endless variations within a few seconds.
All of the work in the series can be separated into single pieces or groups.
All of the work in the series can be separated into single pieces or groups.
Exhibitions
Range, David B. Smith Gallery, Denver, CO (2017)Join our mailing list
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