Entry 2 – X-Ray Photography

Although I have seen many images of the same variety before the photogram project, I did not know that they are called photogram. To be honest, I had confounded photogram with x-ray photography. Due to their visual similarities, I had always thought that they were the same thing. It was not until my trial of photogram that I began to recognize their differences and started a brief research to distinguish one to another.


While researching on this subject, I came upon, David Maisel, a photographer who takes on multi-media projects with series that explore on the themes of environmental scenery and antiqueness. In his series of History’s Shadow, his photographs focus on the x-ray imageries of sculptures and art objects. When observing artworks, we simply perceive the outer layer of the art objects. In other words, we only see the final result that the artists wish to present. However, Maisel’s History’s Shadow offers not only a new viewpoint to these art objects, but they also reveal some trace of the making of these ancient artworks.

I am fascinated by these x-ray images, and I find them very poetic. I love how Maisel chases the memories of the past in these photographs, yet presents them in a new fashion. I also highly recommend his Library of Dust series, which he photographed the colourful corrosion on cooper canisters. The canisters of which contain the cremated remains of the unclaimed patients from a psychiatric hospital in the 80’s. The vibrant corrosion on these urns now details the stories of the forgotten.

Reference
Maisel, D. (2009) History's Shadow GM10 [Photograph]
  Retrieved from URL (http://davidmaisel.com/works/picture_2009.asp?cat=his_xxx&tl=History_s%20Shadow)

Maisel, D. (2005-6) Library of Dust 1211  [Photograph]
  Retrieved from URL (http://davidmaisel.com/works/picture_2009.asp?cat=lod_ca2&tl=Library%20of%20Dust:%20Canisters%20II)