Dan's Papers - October 30, 2009

It's a sunny fall afternoon on Shelter Island, and the Mosquito Hawk Gallery's exterior is sparkling with life, just like its surrounding setting. Contributing to the unique ambience is the building that houses the gallery: a church. This is an unusual place because the space and the exhibit play against one another in strange ways.

The church's altar and stained glass windows are eye-catching and familiar, reinforcing what a spiritual place should be. Yet the photographs in "Vivir la Muerte" by Bastienne Schmidt are not at all familiar. In fact, they are foreign to our experience as Americans. They document places like Brazil, Peru and Mexico during the 1990s. The subject matter is strange as well, showing how Latin American cultures deal with rituals of death. Thus, the juxtaposition of the usual and unusual. Or, put another way, the uplifting church atmosphere combined with the photographs' despair.

"Despair" might not be the proper word. Funeral rituals can be life-affirming, yet one photograph of an open grave is not. A boy with a gun walking alongside a person dressed as a skeleton is equally disconcerting. These contradictions are recognized by Schmidt herself when she describes her pictures as "cruel and explicit, lyrical and poetic."

Such oppositions give strength to Schmidt's exhibit, as does the church setting. Even so, another quality adds to the intensity: close-up perspectives of the subject matter. We, the viewers, never feel as though we're observers; we are participants in the rituals even if it makes us uncomfortable. We're trapped with the people in the events taking place.

Schmidt's talent for capturing diverse cultures is also proven in her 2004 book, Shadow Home. In this collection, participation with the subjects is personal as the photographer travels to her homeland of Germany. While people, places and architecture are documented, one picture, of a small bunch of flowers stuck in a fence, conveys contradiction.

Environment has always played a big part in Schmidt's works, and that's no more apparent than in her latest photographs (not part of the current show) featuring life as a Long Island housewife. The self-portraits are her most personal, and include abstract close-ups of faces and long shots of a woman seemingly lost in a field.

Again, the contradiction looms large, as do the settings. Schmidt's photographs are not only outstanding visual diaries but arresting sociological observations as well. Her expertise has been well acknowledged: Her work is in the collections of such prestigious institutions as The International Center of Photography, MOMA and The Victoria and Albert Museum.

"Vivir la Muerte" is on view at Shelter Island's Mosquito Hawk Gallery. Call 631-495-4503 for schedules and directions.