The dark side of photography: Broomberg & Chanarin uncover uncomfortable truths

The exhibition by London-based photographer duo Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin at the Foam gallery in Amsterdam delves into the history of photography, specifically exploring the issues of race and color that have been inherent in its development and technology. The title of their exhibition, "To photograph the details of a dark horse in low light," is inspired by Kodak's euphemism for a new film released in the early 1980s, which aimed to address criticisms of its racially biased film stock. The genesis of this exploration traces back to filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard's critique in the late 1970s, where he refused to use Kodak film, calling it 'racist' because its chemical composition made black faces appear featureless unless specially compensated. Broomberg and Chanarin initiated their project by using a medium format Kodak film stock with a 1978 expiry date to photograph rare initiation rituals in Gabon. Despite numerous rolls shot, they were only able to develop a single, underexposed image of a palm leaf. This seemingly simple image became a cornerstone for their complex investigation into race and photography, highlighting how product development in the industry was racially skewed and how default settings could effectively erase or distort non-white faces. A significant piece in the exhibition is a scaled-up reproduction of 'Shirley,' an image of a white model that Kodak circulated to photo labs in the 1950s. This image served as a benchmark for 'normal' color balance and dynamic range, underscoring the historical bias towards white skin tones. The artists also address the notorious difficulty of capturing both black and white faces in the same photograph using early color film, which often led to compromises in representation. Another series, titled "Polaroid Revolutionary Workers Movement," utilizes a salvaged Polaroid ID-2 system, a twin-lens camera previously employed by South Africa's apartheid regime. This system was used to create images for passbooks that black South Africans were compelled to carry, capturing both a straight-on portrait and a profile on a single sheet of film. The exhibition highlights the activism of Caroline Hunter, a chemist at Polaroid Corporation, who formed the Polaroid Workers Revolutionary Movement in 1970 to protest the company's dealings with the apartheid regime. Her efforts, along with the movement, eventually led to Polaroid ceasing its supply to the South African government seven years later. Further demonstrating the non-innocent nature of photography, other works in the exhibition involve darkroom equipment and instructions inherited from a family friend. These were used to produce black and white test strips, illustrating how varying exposure times affect the rendering of 'color' and revealing the technical biases embedded in photographic processes. The artists also purposefully misused dodging tools during development to further emphasize that photographic processes are not neutral and inherently influence how subjects are depicted, especially concerning race and skin tone. #Photography #ArtExhibition #RaceAndPhotography #AdamBroomberg #OliverChanarin #Kodak #Polaroid #Apartheid #ArtAndActivism #Photography #ArtExhibition #RaceAndPhotography #AdamBroomberg #OliverChanarin #Kodak #Polaroid #Apartheid #ArtAndActivism

36 months ago

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