Digital BW, The Print

Below is the press release for my exhibition of pictures taken with the 
Leica M6 and mainly  35 and 50mm Summicron lenses on E100S and printed 
on the Epson 7600 using  ImagePrint on Espson Semi-Matte. The prints 
are 16x24 and 24x36 inches. While the  official opening date is 
November 25, the exhibition will probably be open on  November 23. I 
post the press release for those who may be interested in reading it.  
The venue is interesting because it gets 800 visitors per day in late 
November and  December.

--Mitch/Bangkok

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PRESS RELEASE: JIM THOMPSON HOUSE MUSEUM

Thai Wat: Color and Harmony -- Photo Exhibition

Have you ever noticed how peaceful Thai temples feel? “Thai Wat: Color 
and Harmony”, an exhibition of color photographs by Mitch Alland at the 
Jim Thompson House Museum opening on November 25 shows where this 
serenity comes from: how, despite extravagance of shape and profusion 
of color, Thai temple design manages to integrate gold and glitter, 
richness and sumptuousness, into the underlying simplicity and harmony 
of Buddhist art.

Photography is an "art of selection" and, through the photographer's 
vision of what to include, these large photographs reveal how Thai 
temples mold apparently discordant and complex elements -- containing 
opulent, bright colors and flamboyant shapes -- into a formal 
simplicity and calm beauty reflecting the spiritual values of Buddhism. 
The large size of the prints (60x90 and 40x60 centimeters) helps to 
accentuate this vision. The exhibition includes photographs from seven 
temples, three in Bangkok and four in the north of Thailand. Of 
particular interest are five photographs of Wat Rachabopit in Bangkok, 
a temple visited by relatively few tourists. It has grace and elegance 
that is an authentic and archetypical expression of the Thai spirit and 
of the Buddhism that has helped to form a unique culture of which this 
temple is a striking example. Several of the photographs guide our eyes 
to the nature of these temples by juxtaposing out-of-focus objects with 
areas that are sharply focused which helps us to understand the 
underlying form.

Four photographs of Wat Mahawan in Lamphun are also of great interest 
in that they show how this glittering temple forms an opulent and 
quintessential image of Thai temple design, how its overall effect is a 
sumptuous and harmonious synthesis despite the roughness of some of the 
craftsmanship and the garishness of some of its elements.

As an appropriate “postscript” to the exhibition there are two 
photographs. The first is a black and white image of an ancient Indian 
Buddha uniting sensuality of line with spirituality of form and 
pointing to the tradition of elegance of vision that emerges from much 
of Buddhist art. While the temples pictured in this exhibition are more 
complex and flamboyant in shape and color than this statue, they have 
the same depth of form and spirituality, grace, and elegance of 
execution that merge into a Buddhist harmony. The second is a color 
photograph taken on a street in Bangkok showing a large, golden Buddha 
statue standing among fresh vegetables laid out on the ground and 
facing a man on a motorcycle. This photograph reflects the 
pervasiveness of Buddhism and can be seen as a metaphor for Thailand 
today, a country in rapid transition where modern urban life is 
emerging within an ancient set of traditions.

The photographer, Mitch Alland, is particularly interested in 
abstracting tones, colors and forms to reveal the essence of objects as 
well as the spirit of place, and in making the photographic perception 
itself the subject of the photograph. His concern with the latter can 
be seen in his treatment of out-of-focus areas in some of the 
photographs. He divides his time between Bangkok, where he spends the 
bulk of the year, and Paris and Washington.

The Jim Thompson House Museum is the perfect venue for this exhibition, 
beautifully situated in a set of Thai teakwood houses and displaying 
Thai art and architecture. The museum is open daily from 9:00-17:00. 
While entry to the museum is 100 baht (50 baht for students), entry to 
the Thai Wat: Color and Harmony exhibition is free. The museum is in 
Soi Kasemsan 2, opposite the National Stadium on Rama I Road, and is a 
short walk from the National Stadium Sky Train station. The exhibition 
begins on November 25, 2003 and runs through December 6, 2004. 
Telephone: 02-216-7368.
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