Julieta Schildknecht

‘Photography is art without a sense of doubt. To photograph is to paint using the available light, and to try to keep alive old techniques, to produce work in very small, qualitatively
valuable editions. Each print or glass plate is a unique, one-off piece…’

Julieta Schildknecht’s exhibition at The Piper Gallery is an installation of photographs presented in a ‘back-stage’ gallery space. Works reserved for such areas - whether at galleries
or art fairs - are often rarities and are brought for viewing by special request. When thinking about this, another resonance for the artist is the work of Pina Bausch, whose dance shows,though never publicly advertised, were always sold out, their popularity spread entirely through word-of-mouth and personal text messaging between those in the metier. In this nstallation, some photographs are presented veiled – as hidden images, reminiscent of the way that pornography used to be hidden behind curtains, other works are to be viewed by climbing a ladder, three works can be viewed from the distance of the balcony. Origami pigeons lead the way from the front door to the exhibition entrance...

At a time when film manufacturers and photo labs are in decline, it is more important than ever to reassert the value of photography.