I remember the only time I stood facing Ori Gershtâs photographs. I was visiting London for a week in November 2012, it was cold, wet and appealingly miserable in the streets of London and regardless of the weather, in the National Gallery everything stood still, time included. Gershtâs work was on display along with some Old Masters painting and reputable photographers (a first for the National Gallery) in the exhibition, Seduced by Art: Photography Past and Present.
Gersht is an Israeli fine art photographer, having pursued studies in England (University of Westminster) and continuing at the Royal College of London. Â He is a photography professor at the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester, Kent.
What particularly caught my attention was his large-scale series called âBlow Upâ, firstly it reminded me of the film entitled identically and directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. This association likely arose since the concept of finding beauty when understanding detail in Gershtâs photography is alike Thomasâ (David Hemmingâs character in Blow-up) when he perceives a crime from a photo having been âblown upâ.
The themes explored by the photographer carry heavily juxtaposed meanings, the beauty of the flowers, conveying beauty, happiness alike sadness and nature, but when blown up can it take up other features, especially those of destruction, death and war. The explosion could also represent human emotion, the rawness of anger or passion. Gersht with his photographical technique gives allusion to wars, â⊠the French Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, the bombing of Hiroshima, and the suicide bombs that Gersht anticipated during his childhood in Israel can all be found in this work.â
Ori Gershtâs inspiration is Henri Fantin-Latourâs flower still life compositions dating from the 19th century. The intricacy involving Gersht and Latourâs work, whether in colour, choice of flower species, the repetitive overall central position of the flower composition; gives way to the conclusion that only the cutting-edge technology (freeze-frame action) differ both artists.
In an interview led by Joseph Caputo for Smithsonian, Gersht explains how the theme of destruction is very much interlinked with the processus of his photography technique and how this reflects upon his psyche:
Q: âWhat makes destruction so compelling to watch?â
A: âViolence can be very grotesque and also intensely attractive. What interests me is how the twoâbeauty and violenceâlive side by side, and how moments can be created and erased almost simultaneously. Destruction is painful, but at times it can be very cathartic.â
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