Remarks on Two of Jason Miller’s Photographs by Till-Holger Borchert (Chief Curator Groeninge Museum and Arentshuis, Bruges)
Ever since pictorial imagery was transformed into art, defining the representational point of view has been among the principal choices every non-abstract artist has to face and it always has been a prominent means to manipulate the viewer. Just one example: the dramatic close-up, to use a term introduced in art history by Sixten Ringbom in the 1960’s, was employed to enhance the narrative qualities of artistic representations around 1500, at the same time when aerial views were applied to map the world.
The introduction of photography didn’t alter the fundamental importance of making the artistic choice of the Bildausschnitt. On the contrary, the medium of photography rather underlined – in its inherent ambivalence of realistic rendering and artistic interpretation – the timelessness of the artistic concept of choosing one’s point of view. Even the Surrealists – in their attempt to ban conscious choices from the artistic process – were not able to entirely abandon the choice of perspective from their visual production.
Jason Miller’s photographic work – especially his series “energy strings” – is closely related to the surrealist movement in that he is consciously attempting to link image after image in a sequel of subconscious associations that are reflecting a specific state of mind, or mood. In order to achieve his goal, he – unlike his surreal ancestors – applies both modern computer-technology and modern media-experience.
In his “mythical pictures”, however, Miller’s surreal constructivism is taking a different turn to divulge images that would resound with our own visual memory and experience, and would eventually translate themselves into subjective moods: in these photographs we face formal analogies which are ambiguously linked by means of visual associations in order trigger subliminal allusions to subjective pictorial reminiscences and individual remembrance.
The spires of a gothic cathedral – St. Stephen’s in Vienna – are fading into oblivion in the background of a single picket of an iron fence, reminding us that those traceries of gothic masonry are actually intimidating, menacing, aggressive.
The image of a staircase that is leading up to a yellow door concealed from our view by a porch with lantern is equally ambivalent since the wooden ladder, seemingly purposelessly set aside, might – in fact – offer the key to an alternative route to take in order to pursue a different goal.
In both cases, the chosen point of view defines the image and constitutes its aggravating ambiguity that incites the viewer to start making sense.
