Seen: A Pretty Sweet Fruit
Who: Colin Barey
Where: Totem Pole Photo Gallery, Shinjuku
When: February 5 - 210, 2019 (open 12-7pm)
It’s a fact that the 6x7 film allows for richness in detail that no screen can transmit- prints made from medium format negatives have to be seen to be believed. A single 8x10 print should satisfy or occupy a viewer for a while- multiplying that experience by one hundred and eighty-five facilitates an phenomena that deals with the very best in which a photo exhibition can do. A good show is an encounter with photographs in a way that’s entirely different than anything other medium. The scale and quantity of this particular show can’t easily be replicated in print and it would lose something if it was all on your ipad.
Entering a gallery set up like this is like wading into a crossfire or web of images- there’s so much to see, so much calling out to be seen. No pages to turn- it’s all there on the walls. There’s obviously interest in the sheer numbers at work- Most photos have an obvious “catch”- but with a longer look at any of them there’s a sensation of progressive revelation in the details. Colin’s been busy and these photos keep their viewer busy. There’s a lot to see, and no matter where you stand in the venue, you’ll find plenty of reasons to make the trip to the gallery.