Diane Levell. Moroccan Well, 1989 (hand coloured cyanotype, monoprint.)
Photo Credit: University of Delaware, Museums Collections

But is it still a photo?

Diane Levell, an American-born artist and photographer, used her visual skills early in her career for interior design, commercial art, reprographics, and graphic design. She taught herself historic alternative photographic processes that became an integral part of her unique style of creating photos. Her style draws on and continues the Pictorialist photographic traditions to create pictures that are intricately crafted and thought-provoking. The Pictorialist movement also demonstrated that each photograph can be linked to the unique eye and abilities of the creator.

The featured image, Moroccan Well (hand-coloured cyanotype, monoprint) and its twin, hand-coloured Van Dyke brown, challenges the traditional definitions of a photograph. The photos are also examples of how pictures printed using different techniques and on other mediums can be displayed differently. Both processes are time-consuming and in contrast to today’s mass-produced digital processing, production and display of photos.

The centre column in the image divides the image into two parts, each with its own focal point. On the left, the eye is drawn to the figure in red, beautifully framed in the door. On the right is the figure of an animal (donkey?) also draped in red and framed within the two windows and tarp above the animal. The right side is also a slightly lighter hue of yellow than the darker burnt orange on the left. Yet my focus continuously jumps from one side of the image to the other.

Diane Levell’s ‘Moroccan Well’ is a testament to the dynamic, boundless nature of photography as an art form. By employing traditional techniques in a modern context, Levell challenges the conventional understanding of what constitutes a photograph. This piece emphasises the artist’s role in the creation process, echoing the ideals of the Pictorialist movement that each picture is deeply intertwined with the unique vision and skill set of its creator. Furthermore, the contrasting processes used in the production of ‘Moroccan Well’ and its sister piece highlight the impact different techniques and mediums can have on the final display. In essence, ‘Moroccan Well’ serves not merely as a visually stunning image but as a statement on the transformative possibilities within the realm of photography, pushing its boundaries and redefining its definitions.

Sources of inspiration:

Diane Levell

http://www.newhopearts.org/default.aspx?pg=1707

Home

#PhotoDigest #DianeLevell #Pictorialism #Cyanotype #AnalogPhotography