Untitled #21 (Forest) 2017

Editor: Dawoud Bey's "Untitled #21 (Forest)," a gelatin silver print from 2017, is a deeply evocative work. Its monochrome palette renders the forest scene almost impenetrable, like a dense, shadowy curtain. What strikes me is the near-absence of light. How do you interpret this stark visual choice? Curator: The photographic capture, and the choice to produce it in monochrome, emphasizes tonal gradations. Light, or the relative absence thereof, creates form, depth, and space. Observe how the artist modulates the greyscale to differentiate the planes within the forest; notice the branches at the foreground and how they are rendered in comparison to the deeper and lighter areas further back into the depth of the depicted woods. Editor: I see what you mean. The different layers create a sense of receding space, even though it's so dark. It's almost claustrophobic, but also kind of beautiful. Do you think that there is meaning in the stark contrasts, aside from creating spatial depth? Curator: Consider the print as a collection of contrasts. Dense and sparse areas interchange with the tonal ranges, the stark dark and comparatively highlighted greyscale which create an intentional sense of discordance or an unnatural rhythm. A more profound point would stem from contemplating the materiality of gelatin silver printing, from developing the image and its manipulation to enhance visual dynamics. Do you think this resonates with a broader visual effect, which is only realized because of the technique? Editor: The materiality absolutely affects our reception of the image; I see what you mean! The print emphasizes its artificial qualities, but it is trying to capture nature. So it's creating contrast even there, between a natural setting, captured through this stark and deliberate medium. That tension definitely elevates the image. Thanks for helping me tease that apart. Curator: Indeed. Paying attention to the formal elements and their manipulation grants us the ability to better analyze its content.