Figurativ, from the book "Lightgraphics, Monoscriptures" 1961

Curator: My first impression is…wow, this is eerie! Is that…a distorted hand reaching out from some dreamscape? Editor: Indeed! This photogram is entitled "Figurativ," and it comes from Chargesheimer’s book, "Lightgraphics, Monoscriptures." It’s now part of the Harvard Art Museums collection, printed on a sheet measuring about 40 by 30 centimeters. Curator: "Lightgraphics," huh? It's a fitting title. The patterns evoke cellular structures, but also maybe geological formations, like cracked earth or petrified wood. Does it represent decay or transformation, perhaps? Editor: Precisely! Chargesheimer was deeply interested in the alchemical nature of photography – its capacity to reveal the unseen and transmute reality. Look at how he’s layered these textures; each element seems to be in conversation with the others. Curator: It makes me think about the impermanence of the body, how we're just fleeting patterns in a much larger, eternal picture. Editor: And isn't that the power of symbols? They remind us that we're connected to a history far grander than our own individual experience. Curator: Absolutely! It is all just a game of light, shadow and perception. Thanks for showing me this. Editor: A truly remarkable piece, Chargesheimer's work reminds us that art is not just about what we see, but also about what we feel and remember.