Lafayette Hillside Memorial 2014

Binh Danh made Lafayette Hillside Memorial using a daguerreotype, a photograph on a silvered copper plate. It’s like he's painting with light and chemistry rather than brushes and pigment, but the process feels just as hands-on. The image has this ghostly, ethereal quality. The crosses on the hillside almost seem to float. I notice how the surface is reflective, and how the tones shift depending on where I stand. It reminds me that photography, like painting, is about capturing a moment, but also about the physical presence of the object itself. Look closely at the star of david in the lower right corner, placed amongst the crosses. This simple detail brings a multiplicity of meaning to the image, prompting us to reflect on themes of loss, memory, and the complex narratives embedded in our collective history. Like Danh, Felix Gonzalez-Torres explored similar themes through a minimalist aesthetic, highlighting the power of absence and suggestion. Ultimately, Danh’s work invites us to contemplate the ways we commemorate the past and grapple with the ambiguities of remembrance.