Shadow Catchers at V and A

Shadow Catchers at V and A Museum is a fascinating photography exhibition that challenges the notion that you need to have a camera to take photos. Using various objects, sensitive paper and shadows, these unusual pictures combine the best of manual photography with artistic creativity to produce a series of weird and wonderful images.

Shadow Catchers at V and A
Featuring the work of five different artists who are still making use of the pioneering techniques established in the 19th century when photography was in its infancy, the exhibition will highlight the simplicity and efficiency of creating photos in a cameraless environment. As there is no negative created by a camera, each individual work is unique and the results can vary greatly from one picture to the next, meaning that a great deal of the photos on show in Shadow Catchers at V and A represent a very specific moment in time. Offering a profound alternative to today's instant digitalised image, these pictures capture the essence of the object and the landscape surrounding it.

Cameraless photography
Often creating pictures that appear surreal, ethereal or ghost lfe, the 75 photos on show in the exhibition Shadow Catchers at V and A Museum, expore the ways in which simple light effects and scientific techniques can be employed to induce unusual or abstract images. Experiemental photography without cameras was an standard practise back in the 19th century, but several key artists are still creating images by blocking light, casting shadows or chemically manipulating light sensitive paper to produce pictures in the same way.

Exhibition highlights
Of the five artists exhibiting their work, several have been producing these kinds of effects for more than 20 years. Floris Neususs is exhibiting his lattice window at Lacock Abbey photo, which is a homage to the Fox Talbot image of 1835 and Susan Derges is showing a series called Chaldni Figures which were created by sprinkling powder onto photographic paper, which were shaken into geometric patterns by exposing it to different frequency soundwaves. One of the most popular images in Shadow Catchers at V and A is sure to be Invocation by Adam Fuss, which features the shadow of a baby in a shallow bath, where its movements create a series of ripples around it and producing an unusual and inspired moment in time.

The exhibition of cameraless photography, Shadow Catchers at V and A Museum, takes place from Wednesday 13th October 2010 - Sunday 20th February 2011. Tickets are £5.00 or £4.00 for concessions. Children under 12 are free.

If you would like to book tickets for this event, click on the link below for more information.

Victoria and Albert Official Site

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