You probably already know their work even if you don’t know their names. You’ve likely seen that suggestive shot of Moulder and Scully in bed together. And you’ve seen them turn Kyle Sandilands into King Kong, and if you are a fan of Tim Tams, remember the chilli flavour and the ad that came with it? The naked women strategically covered by running chocolate surrounded by seductive colours and chilli peppers, clearly this Tim Tam was the hottest there ever was.
Denis Montalbetti and Gay Campbell brought us all of these, a vision into their world of fantasy and sensual sensibilities, where “mere-mortals become mythical creatures of desire”. Currently their work is a featured exhibition at the Australian Centre for Photography. http://www.acp.org.au/
The exhibition is a totally tricked out and hyper-expressive display of work. Purists beware! The photographs break away from the picture making tradition and swing between graphic art and photography itself. As viewers we must remember this “swing” and look at the camera as a tool of creation, a mechanism that conveys a vision into the creator’s mind. In Montalbetti and Campbell’s case, the camera is not an instrument of record but a step in an artistic process.
The exhibition is an interesting one to look at; colours are electric and there are some spectacular tricks, coupled with interesting decor and music, it is designed to be a treat for the senses.
However for me, this exhibition misses the mark. The images don’t so much constitute a display of artistic work that runs along a theme, but instead a display of the artists’ ability to magnificently manipulate images in Photoshop. Of course this is a delicate skill these photographers execute to a tee and I commend them for this, but these commercial images just appear out of place as an artistic collection in a gallery,.
There are some powerful portraits, and to be honest I did enjoy looking at them from an aesthetic point of view, but the exhibition disappoints as a display of artistic vision as it delivers more of an assorted commercial portfolio. Nevertheless these photographers are commercial photographers, well respected ones at that... Could one be considered foolish to expect to see something more personal from the artists then this sales pitch hanging on a wall? Perhaps, but perhaps not.
I would recommend to anyone who enjoys commercial photography to take a look at this exhibition, as I enjoy this genre and enjoyed this exhibition, but if you are looking for something with an artistic vision, motive or message, you may be disappointed.
http://tmp.acp.org.au/current/index.php#sensualists
Glen.
