Lab Work #15

Artist James Henkel has had a long-term interest in how the camera “sees” objects. Lab Work #15 and Hammering demonstrate Henkel’s ongoing experiments with the possibilities and limitations of vision through photography. From a recent series that explores glassware found in a chemistry classroom, Lab Work #15 reverses the black and white color opposition of the classic silhouette. The lab equipment is painted white and photographed against a blackboard—making the image appear to be a photographic negative. In Hammering, the artist presents a simple act, a hand hammering the top of a classical pedestal. Take a closer look and several types of hammers are represented.