By\u00a0Quenby Sheree<\/p>\n
Now on display at the Southeast\u00a0Museum of Photography, the \u201cFluidrive\u201d\u00a0series spans over six years and is\u00a0concerned with forms of story-telling.<\/p>\n
Curtis Wehrfritz\u2019s daguerreotype images\u00a0are very much involved with theatrics\u00a0and are inspired by his primary focus of\u00a0filmmaking and playwrighting.<\/p>\n
\u201cFluidrive\u201d is something straight out of\u00a0the dark fairytale I longed to live in as a\u00a0Gothy overdramatic teenager. The ornate\u00a0baroque frames \u2014 with their massive\u00a0swirls and designs in shiny black luxury\u2014\u00a0give the impression that each photograph\u00a0belongs in an evil queen\u2019s castle.<\/p>\n
The photographs themselves are a\u00a0mirrored image, making the dark subjects\u00a0appear like holograms that reflect the\u00a0viewer standing directly in front of the\u00a0print. Because of the reflective surface of\u00a0the images, they are best looked at from a\u00a0few feet away or even at an angle.<\/p>\n
Watching gallery visitors sway before\u00a0the art trying to adjust themselves in the\u00a0correct way, seems like an unconscious\u00a0ritualistic dance. Perhaps if the steps are\u00a0done correctly the image will present itself.<\/p>\n
Wehrfritz is a photographer, filmmaker\u00a0and cinematographer based in Toronto,\u00a0Canada. His education, experience and\u00a0career have been principally in the world\u00a0of video and cinema with a number of\u00a0awards, including a Canadian JUNO\u00a0award (equivalent to a Grammy) for his\u00a0video work with Leonard Cohen. Other\u00a0video awards such as two Best Director\u00a0honors at MuchMusic and eight other\u00a0distinctions for music videos. Wehrfritz\u2019s\u00a0feature film \u201cFour Days\u201d premiered at the\u00a0Toronto Film Festival and was distributed\u00a0internationally. His short films have been\u00a0shown in the NYC Independent Film\u00a0Festival and in film festivals in the United\u00a0Kingdom. Daguerreotypes aren\u2019t the latest futuristic\u00a0gimmick in photography, but date back to\u00a0the beginnings of the craft. The method,\u00a0named after Louis Daguerre, who\u00a0developed the process along with Joseph\u00a0Nic\u00e9phore Ni\u00e9pce in the early 1800s, is\u00a0a direct positive image made in a large\u00a0format camera onto a silvered copper plate.<\/p>\n There is no negative and no post\u00a0production method to fix even the slightest\u00a0flaw. Each print is one of a kind and terribly\u00a0fragile. Making these images is such a\u00a0rare skill that there are very few working\u00a0daguerreotype labs in the world.<\/p>\n What kind of artist steps away from\u00a0his award winning film career in film to\u00a0take on one of the most difficult printing\u00a0techniques in history? The Canadian-born\u00a0artists own words gives insight to his state\u00a0of mind. In his artist\u2019s statement he says:<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a blind spot that I keep trying\u00a0to describe. It lies behind the eye and I can\u00a0never really describe it in words. Imagine\u00a0feeling your way around a strange house in\u00a0the dead of night when you know someone\u00a0is there with a cat that is motionless and\u00a0watching you. My photo-based work seeks\u00a0to create touchstones to an inner story.\u00a0Through this I have become fascinated\u00a0by the idea that image making mimics\u00a0the mechanics of the eyes. We use light to\u00a0create elaborate puppet shows to be able to\u00a0make simulated experiences of light.\u201d<\/p>\n If you get the feeling that the scenes\u00a0trapped onto the shinning plates are\u00a0moments in a Gothic play or horror movie,\u00a0it\u2019s because Wehrfritz\u2019s daguerreotype\u00a0work began as a way to uniquely record\u00a0his stage and film projects. His initiation\u00a0into the early days of photography began\u00a0during a three-year apprenticeship with\u00a0Mike Robinson, a Canadian glass artist\u00a0and poet.<\/p>\n \u201cFluidrive\u201d can be seen in the upstairs\u00a0gallery of SMP until April 22. The artist\u00a0is expected to visit Daytona State College\u00a0Friday, March 30 for a lecture and\u00a0reception at the museum. The museum is\u00a0open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 11:00 am-\u00a05:00pm; Wednesday: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm;\u00a0Saturday & Sunday: 1:00 – 5:00 pm. The\u00a0museum information hotline is (386) 506-<\/span>447.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By\u00a0Quenby Sheree Now on display at the Southeast\u00a0Museum of Photography, the \u201cFluidrive\u201d\u00a0series spans over six years and is\u00a0concerned with forms of story-telling. Curtis Wehrfritz\u2019s daguerreotype images\u00a0are very much involved with theatrics\u00a0and are inspired by his primary focus of\u00a0filmmaking and playwrighting. \u201cFluidrive\u201d is something straight out of\u00a0the dark fairytale I longed Continue reading Exhibit brings out best in Gothic style<\/span>
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\nIn recent years, Wehrfritz has moved\u00a0into visual art, live performance and\u00a0<\/span>theatrical installations. The daguerreotype\u00a0<\/span>work at SMP started as a form of unique\u00a0<\/span>documentation for such performances.<\/span><\/p>\n