Jiageng Lin

In Praise of Shadows

In Praise of Shadows is a body of work that explores and pushes the boundaries and meanings of photographic materials, apparatus, and perception. This project started with the desire to challenge the traditional view of photography as a purely representational medium and reveal its hidden processes. Photographs have always been something to look through; what is shown in the image area matters. In praise of shadows utilizes basic photographic elements, camera, paper, and photo-sensitive materials as subjects to challenge the perception of photography as simply something to look through. Each work in In Praise of Shadows exhibits varying characteristics that reveal the dimensionality of photography, turning photographic prints into sculptural form, emphasizing the act of taking photographs, and revealing time both in viewing the photograph and making it. In Praise of Shadow opens a dialogue about photography itself and asks the viewers to see photography differently.

*18 Mil, 18% Grey*, 2019 (8″x10″, silver gelatin print in 18″x18″ frame)

Curve 1, 2019 (4″x5″, direct positive silver gelatin print)

Curve 2, 2019 *(4″x5″, direct positive silver gelatin print)*

Curve 3, 2019 *(4″x5″, direct positive silver gelatin print)*

Paper Mountain (1), 2019 (20″x25″, archival inkjet print)

*Paper Mountain (2), 2019 (20″x25″, archival inkjet print)*

*Paper Mountain (3), 2019 (20″x25″, archival inkjet print)*

Reverse 1, 2019 (16″x20″, silver gelatin print)

*Reverse 2, 2019 (16″x20″, silver gelatin print)*

*Reverse 3, 2019 (16″x20″, silver gelatin print)*

Jiageng Lin is a Chinese artist currently based in Rochester, NY. His work centers on photography’s basic elements: light, time, camera obscura, and photographic materials.