Mona Kuhn: Acido Dorado

ThelightandformsofJoshuaTreeNationalParkinspireaturntowardabstractionforthefamedphotographerAcclaimedforherintimatenudes,MonaKuhntakesanewdirectionintoabstractioninherlatestseries,AcidoDorado.PhotographedatagoldenmoderniststructureontheedgeofJoshuaTreeNationalPark,architecturallines,lightreflectionsandasinglefigurehavebeencarefullybalancedagainstthebackdropoftheCaliforniandesert.Thehumanfigureintheseimages--Kuhn'sfriendandcollaboratorJacintha--emergeslikeasurrealistmirage,fragmentedandindistinct,attimessubmergedinshadowsoroverexposed.Thebuilding'sfacadesofglassandmirrorsserveasopticalplanes,anextensionoftheartist'scameraandlens.Lightissplitintorefractingcolors,desertvegetationgrowssideways,insideisoutsideandoutsidein.Kuhnpushesacertaindisorientingeffectbyintroducingmetallicfoilsasanadditionalsurface,attimesproducingpurelyabstractresults.AcidoDoradomarksKuhn'sincreasinguseoftechniquesthatappeartomergethefigure,abstractionandlandscapeintoone.MonaKuhn(born1969)isbestknownforherlarge-scale,dreamlikephotographsofthehumanform.Herpicturesoftenreferenceclassicalthemeswithalightandinsightfultouch.Kuhn'sapproachtoherworkisdistinguishedbythecloserelationshipsshedevelopswithhersubjects,resultinginimagesofremarkablenaturalnessandintimacy.BorninSAoPaulo,Brazil,KuhnlivesandworksinLosAngeles.