National Gallery of Art, Washington: Variations on the Theme Possibly 1981 - 1999

Patrizia della Porta created this gelatin silver print, "National Gallery of Art, Washington: Variations on the Theme," sometime during her career. It's a play with the abstract, architectural planes of the building. I imagine della Porta peering through the lens, framing and reframing until the building resolves into a composition of dark and light, triangles and rectangles. Look at how the texture of the brick contrasts with the smooth surfaces in the upper half of the photograph. It’s almost like she’s painting with light and shadow. The division of black and white creates a striking pattern that invites the eye to wander and contemplate the geometric forms. The single triangle at the back is like a memory of Kazimir Malevich's work. It's a clever nod that invites us to consider the historical conversation around abstraction in art.