In Japanese culture, names often convey profound meanings through kanji characters. One such concept conveyed by kanji is that of ‘hidden’, signifying mystery and secrecy, adding depth to a name. While I am no expert and am open to correction, I believe one such kanji is Inoru (“hidden”), which lends itself to a number of potential meanings in combination with other kanji, such that it might be used to form ideas such as hidden one, hidden village, hidden flower, and so on.
Another kanji is 祕, which can be taken as ‘secret’, ‘hidden’ and / or ‘conceal’, and at the Kondor Art Centre, Angelika Corral uses this Kanji as the focal point for what is a simply marvellous exhibition of black and white photography with a strong lean towards chiaroscuro, entitled Seeing Without Seeing.
Angelika has deep roots within the Second Life arts community as both as a curator of art and as a photographer. In the former role, she was a co-creator and operator of DaphneArts, in its time one of the foremost Second Life galleries in presenting exhibitions both ensemble and singular, which explored complex and rich themes.
As a photographer, Angelika works primarily in black-and-white, focusing on avatar studies noted for their depth and introspection, whilst carrying a richness of artistic technique and classic photography. Such is her skill, in 2022, she won Flickr/SmugMug’s World Photography Day award in the virtual photography category for I’m not just what you see, an award highlighting both her ability to craft compelling visual narratives within virtual environments and the validity of such environments as a vehicle for artistic expression.
The title of that winning piece actually resonates with the theme for Seeing Without Seeing, which Angelika describes thus:
This series is an invitation into the quiet … These images do not shout. They whisper. They leave space. They suggest rather than explain.
Inspired by traditional Japanese principles, these images aim to slow the act of looking. They are meant to be lingered [upon]. The subtle textures, partial forms, and quiet moments ask: what might lie just beyond the visible?
– Angelika Corral
Thus, within the images on offer, we are asked to look beyond the partial (and in places fragmented) nature of individual photographs and consider the nuances of framing, cropping, lighting and pose, and allow each piece and see what lies beyond, not what is presented in an of itself. To allow each each picture to talk to us in its own voice and listen to whatever narrative – or narratives – it might suggest.
Given the above, I am not going to offer my own interpretations here, but simply recommend Seeing Without Seeing to your own eyes. Just be sure to look closely and listen to what each piece might decide to whisper.
SLurl Details
- Kondor Art Centre (Royal Tea, rated Adult)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 