Neo-Natal Care; Photographer Judy Natal Juxtaposes Words and Images On Display at Light Work Gallery

Summary

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The commentary on man and the environment is evident throughout the exhibit. Natal combines the natural landscape with the effect of man most compellingly in "Hollywood," which features a large stone face scarred by graffiti, with "Hollywood" running along the crest. Perhaps a commentary on man's destruction of the wild and the nature of Hollywood itself, the foreground looks like the quintessential party spot--complete with discarded trash on the ground.

Natal also plays with petroglyphs, which are carvings or inscriptions on rock. In "Falling Water," from 2000, the landscape forms what looks like a mouth, with random letters spilling from the central cave or, perhaps, orifice. By incorporating a petroglyph, the letters on the ground reflect on the top of the mouth, almost like smudged food. This continues the theme of reflection in 2000's "Dust to Dust."

Yet in other pieces, especially 1999's "Boy Toy," scale is everything. A diptych featuring the front and rear of a tank named Rosie, the word "boy" looks as though it's being crushed under the front, while "toy" merely sits along the side of the machine in the second panel. Like all of Natal's work, it's open to personal interpretation.

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Neo-Natal Care; Photographer Judy Natal Juxtaposes Words and Images On Display at Light Work Gallery

In an increasingly digital age, a photographic exhibit that looks back to the traditional methods of photo processing while the subject matter reflects current places or events becomes more interesting simpl...

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