Martina Corry: Photogenic Drawings

Martina Corry’s work is concerned with one of the absolute fundamentals of photography: the picture surface. Though often rendered invisible by the dominant force of ‘content’ or figuration, the surface qualities of the photograph play an important role in the aesthetic of any work.

The exhibition is composed mainly of photogenic drawings – unique, photographic prints, made in the darkroom without a camera. Because there is no negative, each print is unique, and cannot be reproduced.

Image by Martina Corry from the exhibition Photogenic Drawings at the Gallery of Photography November 8 – December 2 2000

The work has a strong, sculptural quality. Folded and creased images such as Presence and the Document Series engage directly with the picture plane as a material in itself. At a more conceptual level, Corry’s work can also be regarded as a playful intervention into debates about the status of the photograph as a second-order record of an event.

Image of invitation for the exhibition Photogenic Drawings at the Gallery of Photography 2000

Private View: Tuesday November 7th from 6:30pm, supported by Beck’s Bier.                                    Artist’s Talk: Wednesday November 8th at 1:15pm