Herbert 1912

Morton Schamberg made this portrait of Herbert with a camera, a relatively new technology at the time that he adopted into his art practice. The colours are limited to a few tones, but they achieve the effect of an uncanny reality. The surface of the photograph has an interesting texture, the way it almost appears as though it was rendered with charcoal, the dark tones against the plain background. There's a soft blurring effect, especially around the edges, that makes the man almost seem to be emerging from the depths. Schamberg manipulates the photographic process to create a unique aesthetic, one that is both familiar, because it is a portrait, and otherworldly because of the effects he employs in the process. Schamberg was known for his interest in technology and abstraction, which is interesting considering this portrait, which seems more like a traditional form. I'm curious about how it stands in relation to the work of other photographers from the same period, like Alfred Stieglitz, and how he saw the world around him. It’s a piece that invites us to look beyond the surface, to question what it means to capture a likeness, and the way art can transform our perceptions.