Speed of Dark

Simple shapes, when strewn broadly and systematically, suggest the presence of infinite creative possibilities and are capable of portraying a visceral excitement felt by mixing the energy of light with the contemplation of dark.

This exercise has been repeated for ages, and its relevance will remain for as long as light may meet dark. The silhouettes of Stonehenge battling against a bright sky, the wabi-sabi placement of rocks in a Japanese garden hugged by methodical raking, the play of shadows in Plato's Allegory of the Cave, and the playfully arranged cut-outs of collage or chemical photogram — these all attest to the unending dynamism of form when imbued with light and the contrast of its absence.

As absence and darkness are made visible, the trail of their path conveys a speed as fast as light, and dark shapes that are no less important than the brightest figures. A symbiotic coexistence of these forces was born with the universe – and a delicate balance remains between the powerful glare of light and the stealthy speed of dark.

Inspired by photograms and a little-known series by documentary photographer William Klein, Speed of Dark references the visual language of the darkroom and the history of photography as an underlying analog for how an emerging art medium can harness simple elements to create evocative expressions.

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TENDER x Laurent Houdard
May 2022