I had some black feelings after seeing the flawless Sharon Core show at currently at Yancey Richardson gallery. She is a technical wizard, and not just to show off, but as an integral part of her project's concept. The monumental patience this work must take is frightening to contemplate. The details in these photos are powerful and perfect- reflecting cleverly the painted surface Core is conjuring. These are two of my favorite images from the show. Have you ever seen corn silk shown to such advantage? Core is clearly evoking the American painter Raphael Peale, as is apparent even before you read the gallery's press release.

In the meantime I have been struggling with trying to make decent photos with that dreadful 4x5 of mine. Perhaps it is the lens- whatever it is, I can't seem to make a good photo with this set up to save my life. Somehow everything comes out looking flat and dull. My results from last weekend's shoot were so discouraging I had dark fantasies of giving up photography forever. Perhaps a more practical response would be to replace my 6x7 so I can shove the 4x5 back into a corner of my studio and forget about it for a while.
Photos courtesy Yancey Richardson gallery