On the campus of the Clark Institute, the Manton Research Center houses, among prints, photography and research books, the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Workson Paper. Here, through February 17, photographer Abelardo Morell captures and revisits sites where Claude Monet and John Constable brought some of the most recognizable landscapes to life. Morell gives these works a second dimension in this intimate exhibition, utilizing his Tent/Camera to capture multi-layered surfaces where Monet and Constable walked, bringing a personal and lively vision to a ready-made legacy.
The Tent/Camera is instrumental in not only recapturing the scenes, but in injecting the essence of the original paintings through the layering of imagery, creating a painterly effect. A type of camera obscura, material for the exhibition explains that, “Morell’s Tent/Camera is made of light-proof material that wraps around a large, redesigned tripod, which has a plate on top that holds two devices. The first device is a 90-degree prism with a lens attached, called a diopter, which acts like a periscope projecting an image of the nearby landscape on the ground below…”
In effect, Morell captures two images at once, layering what is in front of the camera with the projection of the ground beneath the device. This can be anything from pebbles to sticks, dirt, feathers, etc. which are then superimposed on the foreground of the trees, landscapes, etc. of the original scene.
Morell revisits the landscape of both Monet and Constable, two artists who encompass almost opposing viewpoints, while reflecting a similar visual description. The works of both are infused with light, albeit in varying degrees and approaches. When visiting the works of Monet, Morell visits his garden and surrounding countryside, as well as a study of the Rouen Cathedral. In “Rouen Cathedral in Cloudy Afternoon Light, Rouen, France,” the cobblestone path is superimposed on the cathedral itself. The resulting texture is a lifeline to the essence of the building itself, the masonry, the materials — all are enhanced by the layering of the surroundings. Morell discovers not only the structure, but what supports it. Consequently, the atmospheric nature of the work is an additional component of its entirety.