Transformer Station - Todd Hido Photos that Keep You Thinking

Card Printed by Transformer Station - Autographed by Photographer

This year in particular, I have been hitting the art venues pretty hard as a volunteer. The newest contemporary art gallery is the Transformer Station in Ohio City on West 29th to be exact. I happen to be there on February 1, for the grand opening where hundreds witnessed the collection of Fred and Laura Bidwell - “Light of Day.” The collection displayed different photographs from up and coming photographers. One of my favorites in the collection was three black and white photographs of various trains from New York, Tokyo and Paris. They were hung up high, away from the others. Perhaps that is why I loved them so much. Either way, it’s cool that there is an art venue on the near west-side in collaboration with the Cleveland Museum of Art.

At first, I was confused where this Transformer Station was since I have ridden my bike through the Ohio City streets many times. I went to our first volunteer orientation session and I realized I have probably passed this location countless times as I went to my photographer for work. I am sure I’ve seen this small, obscure transformer station but never paid attention to it. I am sure I am not alone thinking this way. So I commend the Bidwells’ for “transforming” this building into an art venue so we can all view their collection.

The “Light of Day” collection ran from February until early May to record crowds, I’m sure. As I volunteered, I spoke with people who traveled as far away as Kent, Ohio to experience this exhibition. You never know who you might meet - Jim Rokakis, who nonchalantly toured the facility along with many others who I didn’t meet or talked to. What was unusual, the exhibition eliminated the artist’s name and brief synopsis about the work? If this is unsettling, you can request a kindle or view www.tsguide.org via smartphone - a brief explanation about the artist and/or the pieces. You can still view past and current exhibits as well.

The newest exhibit, “Excerpts from Silver Meadows” by known photographer, Todd Hido that takes pictures of his Kent, Ohio hometown. His exhibit takes his viewers back to the past of the 1960 - 1970s with women in bouffant hairdos and liquid eyeliner that stare at you in an unsettling way. One of my favorite photos is a black and white smashed up car where the viewer wonders, “What the heck is going on here?”

Hido’s photos, therefore, are grouped together in a way that tells a story of a dark past that many didn’t talk about freely back then. Women look off to the side, disheveled with heels and torn up hosiery. Again, what is going on? That is the beauty of this exhibit, it promotes discussion what is going on. Every photograph has a story, it is up to you to think how it relates to you or not.

Something the photographer said that keeps playing back and forth in my mind. This isn’t verbatim - a photograph in everyone’s mind is truth; documenting a birthday, wedding or real life scenery. Hido, therefore, plays with images that perhaps are not what they seem. Fictional characters that tell a story by how they are choreographed and cropped in his camera’s viewfinder. In fact, he groups a photo of a young woman (a photo within a photo) hung on wall with his father’s weightlifting measurements (wrists, biceps, waist, and thighs) next to a shot of a tree. One thing is clear, the photographs have an isolating quality that keeps you thinking.

The other thing I like about the photographs is they look authentic using an old-fashioned camera. I do feel like I’m transported back to the 1970s when I see a giant photograph of a rotary phone against shiny, metallic wallpaper. Old ranch houses that I remember seeing when I used to visit a friend who just moved to Mentor, Ohio. The scenery of trees are blurred that gives them a dreamlike quality. The photographs, therefore, take up most of the gallery space; there is a lot to see and reflect on.

The newest exhibit will be on view until August 23, 2013. After the Hido exhibit, the Cleveland Museum of Art will be using the space; this collaboration will continue.

The Transformer Station
A new space for contemporary art in Cleveland


1460 West 29th St
www.transformerstation.org

Steve Litt's Review in The Cleveland Plain Dealer
http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2013/05/smashed_cars_sexually_ravenous.html

Creating Photography the Old-Fashioned Way

My Photogram

Field trip to the newest gallery on Superior Avenue, Cleveland Print Room, where I will be creating a “photogram.” I didn’t know what it was either until I did a Google search. It’s placing objects on photo sensitive paper and letting the light hit it – creating a photograph without a camera. Individuals who have never used a film camera might not exactly know what “photo sensitive paper” is. Before digital cameras, photography was done using negatives, a developer, and photo paper. A technology that I kind of miss.

I gathered a few objects from home, not exactly sure what I was doing to create this “photogram.” I put a graphic, see-through ruler, glass coaster, tall glass bottle and feathered mask into a bag. I will learn soon enough what creative piece I will make.

As I walked through the Print Room gallery, I saw old-fashioned Polaroids and other SLR film cameras displayed on a high shelf – unassuming, oblivious to some what they are. It brought me back into a world where producing photography was a trial-and-error process. Moreover, I remember shooting an entire roll of film (36 exposures) and maybe there was one or two great shots worth enlarging. Spending hour after hour in a darkroom printing black and white photos. Because of the experimentation and creative freedom you have, this was one of my favorite artistic class.

Presently, you digitally produce photos that are edited as you go. You press the shutter button, see it on a screen then either keep it or delete it. Don’t get me wrong; I love technology where digital images has saved countless hours of scanning, producing proof sheets and editing photos. All you have to do is upload them to your computer or directly post them to facebook via iPhone or any other smart phone. It’s that simple.

What I do miss is the creativity you get as you shoot and edit in the darkroom. There are times when I see vibrant photos at local galleries and wonder if it’s been “photoshopped” or not. One of my pet peeves.

In the Print Room, you enter a red, revolving cylinder that takes you into the darkroom. There are at least 8 developers on stands that directs light onto your photo paper. I was in heaven as I placed my see-through ruler, glass coaster and Mardi Gras Beads onto the shiny paper. Hence, my goal was creating an interesting composition with my items.

Turn on the developer for 30 seconds; place the paper into the first chemical bath for 2 minutes and agitate; Remove, place it in the second chemical bath for 1 minute; the third chemical bath for 3 minutes then wash the paper with clear water for at least 5 minutes. Whoa, that is so much time invested to create a photograph. It might be but it’s similar to getting your hands dirty when you pick up a paint brush or pencil and illustrate an object without an iPad. It can actually be liberating.

The darkroom was active with so many hands dropping objects onto a 8 x 10 sheet of paper. Soon, an image will emerge. It works best if you have an item that’s translucent where light can shine through. I was impressed how many people did more than one photogram; there were many cool, creative solutions. 

What I learned is that some old-fashioned technologies do return just like vinyl records or letterpress where you can see the letters indented onto the paper. Nothing like it. Get out of your confined digital world and create art the old fashioned way. No iPads please.



Check out Cleveland Print Room
The ArtCraft Building
2550 Superior Avenue
http://clevelandprintroom.com