Sulfite Figure in Spacescape 1961 - 1962

Carl Chiarenza made this gelatin silver print, Sulfite Figure in Spacescape, through the transformative magic of photography. Just look at the way the tones shift, emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I can imagine Chiarenza in the darkroom, coaxing these forms out of the ether, almost like automatic writing, where the image reveals itself. What was he thinking when he made this? Perhaps of other worlds, other possibilities? I’m really struck by the textures. See how they dissolve into one another? The light scratches and speckles create this strange, almost otherworldly surface, which suggests depth and movement. The spiky forms are like bursts of energy, stars colliding, or maybe just the quiet, crystalline growth of something new. Chiarenza’s work reminds me of painters like Dove and Hartley, who found abstraction in nature. Artists are always in conversation, aren't they? Each one inspiring the next, pushing the boundaries of what art can be. Ultimately, this piece celebrates ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the space.