Broadwater 2007

Devin Leonardi made this gray and black toned photograph called Broadwater, but the date is not known, and it feels like it could have been done at any point in the last hundred years. There's a crowd of figures standing around near what looks like a canal or a riverbank, and the reflections are so powerful, it becomes difficult to understand what is surface and what is depth. The tones range from pale gray to almost black, and the textures in the print have a lovely granular feel, like early photography. This work really highlights the materiality of traditional photographic processes, and allows the viewer to become aware of the range and depth that can be achieved with monochrome imagery. Look how the surface of the water is suggested with delicate strokes of gray, that look like gentle ripples. Leonardi's visual language has echoes of Walker Evans's social documentary, but he also has a strong awareness of abstraction. The final image walks a fine line between representation and pure form.