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Now and Then: The Cabinet Card Paintings of Alex Gross
The Cabinet Card Paintings of Alex Gross. Now and Then is the complete compendium of acclaimed artist Alex Grosss mixed media paintings layered on top of antique 19th century cabinet card photographs from portrait studios all around the country. Released in conjunction with Grosss Spring 2012 show at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York, this gorgeous book reinterprets traditional studio portraiture, translating each image beautifully from the original mediums of daguerreotype and tintype into a completely new image and reimagining the working class faces of the nineteenth century as everything from superheroes to
- GenresArtPhotography
111 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 13, 2013
Artist Alex Gross had a collection of Cabinet Cards -
hundred-year-old portraits mounted on heavy card stock.
In 2008, he decided to paint directly over the photos.
Though I have mixed feelings about permanently altering irreplaceable antiques, I must admit...I'm pretty fond of the results.
Superheroes, wizards and characters from film and television are given new (or old) faces in these paintings.
Gross's work is very whimsical, yet those old fashioned, unsmiling faces add an air of melancholy that even an iced cafe mocha cannot cure.
An interesting art project and an intriguing, lovely book.
See more of Alex's work here: http://www.alexgross.com/mixed-media/...
hundred-year-old portraits mounted on heavy card stock.
In 2008, he decided to paint directly over the photos.
Though I have mixed feelings about permanently altering irreplaceable antiques, I must admit...I'm pretty fond of the results.
Superheroes, wizards and characters from film and television are given new (or old) faces in these paintings.
Gross's work is very whimsical, yet those old fashioned, unsmiling faces add an air of melancholy that even an iced cafe mocha cannot cure.
An interesting art project and an intriguing, lovely book.
See more of Alex's work here: http://www.alexgross.com/mixed-media/...
July 8, 2013
My review from Amazon (slightly edited): A warning right up front: Some serious collectors of photography might be upset by this work, as it involves painting over original cabinet photos (mounted photographs produced c.1870-1910). I saw this book in the Cartoon Art Museum in SF, and bought it immediately. The 98 images were produced between 2008 and 2012, for three different shows. 32 of the cards are shown in their original states at the back of the book, so those interested can check and compare the original and the artist's version.
The book is nicely produced - good paper and excellent color printing, pages in sewn signatures, hard-board printed covers with surprising attention to detail in design, both coloring and surface finish. This is the first time I've noted Gingko Press, but I'll be looking them up on the basis of this volume.
The artwork is amusing, but also makes one think about faces, costumes, and identities. Gross clear-coats over the original images, and then paints new versions overtop of the originals - carefully preserving most of the facial elements, even when they're masked or exaggerated. Many are inspired by, or even direct versions of, notable characters from science fiction movies and comics and other forms of popular culture images. Others are more idiosyncratic. I particularly liked the Batman and Robin pair, and the Star Wars characters series, but there are many stand-outs.
It may seem from this description like a rather slight project, but I really like these images, and the book. It's fascinating, somehow they're much more interesting than they would be if just painted fresh without the underlying photos....
The book is nicely produced - good paper and excellent color printing, pages in sewn signatures, hard-board printed covers with surprising attention to detail in design, both coloring and surface finish. This is the first time I've noted Gingko Press, but I'll be looking them up on the basis of this volume.
The artwork is amusing, but also makes one think about faces, costumes, and identities. Gross clear-coats over the original images, and then paints new versions overtop of the originals - carefully preserving most of the facial elements, even when they're masked or exaggerated. Many are inspired by, or even direct versions of, notable characters from science fiction movies and comics and other forms of popular culture images. Others are more idiosyncratic. I particularly liked the Batman and Robin pair, and the Star Wars characters series, but there are many stand-outs.
It may seem from this description like a rather slight project, but I really like these images, and the book. It's fascinating, somehow they're much more interesting than they would be if just painted fresh without the underlying photos....
January 11, 2013
What an exceptional project. Gross takes old cabinet card photographs and retrofits them to the commercial, illustrative and neo-surrealist art of today. The painting/mixed media pieces range from haunting to laugh-out-loud funny. I was so happy to find this book. I truly appreciate that Gross has left the photos intact beneath a plastic film that the paintings are on- it shows a real reverence to the material.
This is a wonderful publication, with a simple design, that displays the art attractively as if in a gallery. The reproductions seem to be 1:1 and are crystal clear as far as quality is concerned. A home run for Gingko Press.
This is a wonderful publication, with a simple design, that displays the art attractively as if in a gallery. The reproductions seem to be 1:1 and are crystal clear as far as quality is concerned. A home run for Gingko Press.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews