developer trays

I first saw a piece by John Cyr in an exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I even contacted him to see about possibly buying one. The work is so lovely - in a haunting, sad kind of way. And it is so familiar. Looking at these images conjures up distinct smells and a taste on my tongue that only used to happen when I was working in the darkroom. Cyr's project was featured on Featureshoot.com yesterday. I've included some of my favorites below.

“As analog photography becomes less popular, John Cyr’s ‘Developer Trays’ read like a love poem to the vanishing medium. For the haunting series, he catalogues the empty developer trays of prolific and renowned photographers, each bearing the marks and stains of chemicals, which emerge like secret data points recording every serendipitous accident of the darkroom.

Through the course of the project, Cyr shot eighty-two trays, contacting photographers, institutions, and estates that held them in their possession. After cultivating a wide network of artists and studios, he turned to more obscure sources, like the relatives or former assistants of deceased photographers. Some photographers sent their developer trays in the mail to be photographed. For this labor of love, Cyr made himself available to travel at a moment’s notice; to view Sally Mann’s tray for example, he drove twelve hours to her Virginia home two days after she responded to his request. To Cyr’s dismay, many established and working photographers no longer had darkrooms and therefore no developer trays.

As small rectangular frames set against a black backdrop, the empty trays themselves begin resemble worn photographic prints, etched with the indexical marks of time and use. Removed from the hallowed darkroom space, the trays are at last exposed to bright light, examined as personal and historical artifacts. With a clear and forensic gaze, Cyr captures each object with the same degree of reverence, allowing the simple elegance the thing itself to stand in for concrete or absolute meanings. Like a wistful archivist, he meticulously records the evidence of that which cannot be chronicled, the intimate and tactile process itself. In these metal and plastic containers, material and image were born of nothingness, taking shape over the agitated surfaces of prints. Seeing them now, entirely vacated, we half expect one final ghostly vision to emerge before our

eyes.”

- Featureshoot.com

old letters, etc.

Going through boxes of old papers and memorabilia (in preparation for our garage sale) means coming across things I haven’t seen or even thought about for a long while. This has included a couple of boxes that hearken back to the Baker Gallery years (1981 – 1992.) Today I waded through lots of old cancelled checks, inventory sheets and invoices. I think the most fun was stumbling upon correspondence with various artists and photographers. (That, and the interaction I had with collectors and photo enthusiasts was the best part of the whole gig.)

My exhibition of Jerry Uelsmann photographs was one of the most enjoyable shows I did. Uelsmann was a cheerful, unassuming and delightful artist with whom to work. He sent me letters on the back of work prints. This was one of his notes, on the backside of a beautiful. but not quite up to par, silver print.


I've already written about my reverence for Helen Leviit. I put together an exhibition that included her, Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans - one of my all-time favorite shows. Of the three, Helen was the only one with whom I corresponded directly (Evans was no longer alive and Cartier-Bresson had a rep.). Helen was totally accessible and very dear to me. This is a postcard I received from her at some point after the show had come down.


One of the sweetest photographers with whom I dealt directly was Aaron Siskind. From the start, he reminded me of my dad.


This is a good example of how low the prices were in the early to mid 80's for photographs by well known photographers. Winogrand's work was available then for what now seems like a song. It was a great time to be collecting photographs! This work now, if even available, is several thousand dollars per piece.


The biggest jump in price perhaps (of the work I carried) has been the group of Arbus prints that I showed in the early 80's. Clients from back in the day often ask me, "Why didn't you, I, we buy the whole show?!" My response is, "It's all relative. $600 or $700 seemed like a lot of money for a photograph back then." Some of us were lucky and did buy them. They cost, of course, tens of thousands of dollars now... if you can even get your hands on one. Here is the inventory sheet for the show I did.


The two Annie Leibovitz shows I did really put me on the map in Kansas City. For the first show, in 1985, I brought her to town to do a book signing at the opening reception. That weekend was a blast! This photo of Annie was taken in front of the gallery by photographer John Trotter. I has completely forgotten about this gift from him until I bumped up against it in the box of Baker Gallery goodies I explored in my basement today!

siskind

Here’s a treat: pictures from Aaron Siskind’s series entitled “Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation.” He made these around the time I was born.

I have always loved them. Well, I love all of his work. I also really liked him. I was lucky enough to do some business with him when I was a gallery owner. He reminded me of my dad.

Anyhow, I am still trying to get back on my feet after the surgery and just couldn’t resist the parallel.