By Suzanne Révy
Anyone who worked in editorial or advertising photography during the film era peered at countless slides through a loupe over a light table. Backlit transparency film possessed a seductive luminosity. Clint Baclawski has long been fascinated by that luminosity and has employed photographs wrapped around fluorescent tubes in his photographic works. His current installation is appropriately titled Departure, signifying a distinct and intriguing shift for the artist. On view at the Abigail Ogilvy Gallery in the SOWA neighborhood of Boston through October 16th, 2022.
“Departure” by Clint Baclawski at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston, MA. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)
(Feature Image) “Departure” by Clint Baclawski at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston, MA. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)
Instead of static lightbulbs, Baclawski has taken a single, sweeping large format image made in Teton National Park and split it into five, large, side-by-side frames. He then processed the image in five discrete ways which scroll up and down past an illuminated horizon line at the center of each mechanical device. The first image is a postcard view of a mountain with a lake in the foreground. Then the images scroll through a prism of colors, some of them flip the mountain, placing its watery reflection at the top and one is a black and white negative. Perhaps most dramatic is Baclawski’s arresting use of red in the final image. This mesmerizing installation is strikingly simple, yet engages with ideas around land use, climate catastrophe and even the history of the photography.
“Departure” by Clint Baclawski at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery Boston, MA. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)
“Departure” by Clint Baclawski at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston, MA. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)
Late nineteenth century landscapes were often presented in large scrolls that unfurled and moved images from left to right so that east coast audiences could see the vast wonders of the west. Many were enticed to migrate there and fulfill their “manifest destiny.” Similarly, contemporary billboards frequently employ neon lights and changing, alternating or scrolling images to lure consumers with that next shiny thing. And as ever, the saturated colors used in postcards encourage tourists to visit our western National Parks by mythologizing the land. Baclawski’s vertical scrolls reference a deep well of historic, contemporary, and marketing strategies for image making through a single photograph. He underlines the pressures of human consumerism and activity on the natural world that has brought us to the threshold of a possible collapse. Departure embodies the notion of “doom scrolling,” and drives an environmental point through an immersive and enthralling photographic installation that is a master stroke. 
“Departure” by Clint Baclawski at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)For more information: https://www.abigailogilvy.com
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