The surface of a photograph can be read as something that conceals as well as reveals. Photographs tease the existence of a wealth of information within their surfaces but only display a finite part of it, often prompting us to make deeper assumptions or construct narratives to fill in the blanks in what we see. An interesting metaphor for a photograph is a black hole, a cosmological body which devours matter and light, keeping them forever shrouded through the inescapable pull of its immense gravity. A black hole is not unlike a camera in that it receives light and records it; in theory, preserving the basic information of that light for all time. In this series, a pinhole camera is used to capture images on photographic paper. They are deliberately overexposed so that the detail in the image is slowly overwhelmed by the density of black on the paper and can never again escape. The subject of each image is included with the work as a short text, to make palpable the information that dwells beneath the surface.
Ross Kelly, Black Holes (Installation View), 2016, 12 Overexposed Pinole Prints on Fibre Paper & Accompanying Label (Off Frame)
Ross Kelly, A View of Downtown From the Balcony, 2015, Overexposed Pinhole Print, 7" x 5" (Matted)
Ross Kelly, My Breakfast - Bacon, Eggs and Toast on a White Plate, 2015, Overexposed Pinhole Print, 7" x 5" (Matted)
Ross Kelly, A Group of Children Play in Nelson Park Playground, My Boy Jumps from the Climbing Frame, 2015, Overexposed Pinhole Print, 7" x 5" (Matted)
Ross Kelly, Five Tankers Float in the Bay - a View from the Seawall, 2015, Overexposed Pinhole Print, 7" x 5" (Matted)
Ross Kelly, Canada Day Parade on West Georgia Street - the Bagpiper Passes by Me, 2015, Overexposed Pinhole Print, 7" x 5" (Matted)