Photographer Richard Barnes links nature to architecture
Richard Barnes discussed his recently released photography book to a filled Slocum Hall Auditorium Tuesday afternoon. His book, ‘Animal Logic,’ is a culmination of his work in the past 10 years. The presentation was co-sponsored by Light Work, where Barnes is working on a month-long residency.
Barnes, a professional photographer whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, looks at the way people inhabit and display their environment, specifically through natural history museums and the exhibits they show.
‘My work is about objects and artifacts, space and time,’ Barnes said. ‘I wanted to show how museum collections develop, specifically how they express the relationship between the natural world and our place, or the human presence in it. The deep space of the dioramas is unique in the way it portrays landscape depth.’
‘Animal Logic’ focuses on photographic work of nature and its relevance to history, science, archeology and architecture. Barnes showed pictures he took of the shed of the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, after he was arrested. He showed photos of half-finished museum displays, complete with animal skulls and partially wrapped giraffes.
Barnes’ work criticizes the human desire to construct artificial worlds. Barnes said he is torn by the way so much is unnatural. Kaczynski’s cabin was removed from its original setting to be used as evidence for the investigation. He said natural history museums attempt to recreate a natural setting when in fact they are physically creating an unnatural, industrial space.
‘We wanted him to show his thoughts on architecture from a photographer’s viewpoint. Because his work deals with architectural spaces and is often a different perspective from the way the students think about space,’ said Anda French, an assistant professor at the School of Architecture. ‘It’s about learning the difference between what’s intended and what’s perceived.’
In his lecture, Barnes peeled back the layers of artificiality and revealed the tangle of artistry, craftsmanship and curatorial decisions in every display. Mark Robbins, dean of the School of Architecture, said Barnes’s lecture was interesting in that it showed a different point of view to members of the school.
‘Architects think of space as something everyone understands, it’s second nature to them,’ Robbins said. ‘It allows us to understand the use of space with the intent of the artist and the perception of the viewer.’
In his exploration of the installation and preservation of animals and fossils at natural history museums, Barnes said he drew attention to the way in which the displays are viewed and understood.
‘The museums are using unnatural means to try and display a natural setting. This is sort of perverse,’ Barnes said. ‘I would see all these incomplete scenes and hidden moments, and it showed me how the complete scenes often emotionally detached the viewer to the subject.’
Published on November 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm
