Art Map Burlington Article

Tarrah Krajnak at SEABA Gallery

Photography is at its best when the craft of making an image is matched point for point with the conceptual arc of the image itself. That is to say, when something is as well thought as it is well made. Tarrah Krajnak’s work on view at the South End Arts and Business Association Gallery is one of those rare moments in Vermont photography where it all comes together.

Krajnak reinterprets Victorian-era tintypes that she has collected from second-hand stores, antique shops, and eBay. In this body of work, her focus is on portraits of infants and children. They look anemic and bug-eyed. One bare-chested baby has stitches over his heart. Damien has the jowly cheeks of an old man. Agnes looks stoned. Annie is lost in some secret pain. Victorian children, apparently, were not the happy little ones we are graced with today and these tintypes reflect that. Presented floating in black, ornate box frames, the 5”x7” show a distinctly contemporary ratio. The rounded corners speak to their Victorian origins.

Like a Victorian Polaroid, tintypes were made by exposing an image to a piece of metal coated with an emulsion. They were developed on the spot and the images were often taken by traveling photographers who roamed from town to town offering their instant portraiture service. Tintypes were inexpensive and not held as kept objects. The plates themselves are easily prone to damage by dust and light. For many families, tintypes provide the only record of their Victorian-era ancestors. The small sepias can be found tucked away in attics or in albums buried in the basement of a late aunt. When rediscovered, they are often worn or frayed or scratched. A popular practice today is to scan the tintypes so they can be digitally restored. Using image editing software, a talented professional can correct scratches and other signs of wear and tear.

Krajnak intervenes on the natural history of the tintype and becomes the restoration professional. By introducing elements and color she recreates the identity of the children and the world they lived in. Thomas poses on an upholstered seat. The wallpaper behind him is a subdued blue brocade. On his right are three flies tangled in a red string. Red string is a thematic constant in Krajnak’s work and in these images in particular. Anne is holding a loose ball of it. Red string is spread at Agnes’s feet. The infant baby with uterus is holding strings in each hand. The string feeds back into the uterus. In Damien, the string runs between two skulls. The string is life and often travels out of view or in the case of Abigail, it connects the two girls to bird skins. The string is chaotic, never ordered. One may argue by adding red string, bird skins, or flies, Krajnak moves from restorer to maker of digital-collage; however, this retouching, this taking of creative liberty is exactly where the art and the brilliance of this work lies.

RIC KASINI KADOUR

		January 2008 V.3-N.1
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Baby With Stitches by Tarrah Krajnak 5”x7” Ultrachrome Print 2007 34. South End Arts and Business Association Gallery 180 Flynn Avenue (802) 859-9222 www.seaba.com		Tarrah Krajnak at SEABA Gallery Photography is at its best when the craft of making an image is matched point for point with the conceptual arc of the image itself. That is to say, when something is as well thought as it is well made. Tarrah Krajnak’s work on view at the South End Arts and Business Association Gallery is one of those rare moments in Vermont photography where it all comes together. Krajnak reinterprets Victorian-era tintypes that she has collected from second-hand stores, antique shops, and eBay. In this body of work, her focus is on portraits of infants and children. They look anemic and bug-eyed. One bare-chested baby has stitches over his heart. Damien has the jowly cheeks of an old man. Agnes looks stoned. Annie is lost in some secret pain. Victorian children, apparently, were not the happy little ones we are graced with today and these tintypes reflect that. Presented floating in black, ornate box frames, the 5”x7” show a distinctly contemporary ratio. The rounded corners speak to their Victorian origins. Like a Victorian Polaroid, tintypes were made by exposing an image to a piece of metal coated with an emulsion. They were developed on the spot and the images were often taken by traveling photographers who roamed from town to town offering their instant portraiture service. Tintypes were inexpensive and not held as kept objects. The plates themselves are easily prone to damage by dust and light. For many families, tintypes provide the only record of their Victorian-era ancestors. The small sepias can be found tucked away in attics or in albums buried in the basement of a late aunt. When rediscovered, they are often worn or frayed or scratched. A popular practice today is to scan the tintypes so they can be digitally restored. Using image editing software, a talented professional can correct scratches and other signs of wear and tear. Krajnak intervenes on the natural history of the tintype and becomes the restoration professional. By introducing elements and color she recreates the identity of the children and the world they lived in. Thomas poses on an upholstered seat. The wallpaper behind him is a subdued blue brocade. On his right are three flies tangled in a red string. Red string is a thematic constant in Krajnak’s work and in these images in particular. Anne is holding a loose ball of it. Red string is spread at Agnes’s feet. The infant baby with uterus is holding strings in each hand. The string feeds back into the uterus. In Damien, the string runs between two skulls. The string is life and often travels out of view or in the case of Abigail, it connects the two girls to bird skins. The string is chaotic, never ordered. One may argue by adding red string, bird skins, or flies, Krajnak moves from restorer to maker of digital-collage; however, this retouching, this taking of creative liberty is exactly where the art and the brilliance of this work lies. RIC KASINI KADOUR

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