“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
~ Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” 1939
By Elin Spring
Many photographers approach the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with suspicion, if not outright fear and loathing. Not “photo-painter” Fran Forman. She has been embracing the brave new world of AI with robust curiosity and mad skills. The integration of generative AI with her customary practice of layering images into mysterious and intriguing narratives practically seems preordained. In her farewell stint as Creative Director of the Photographic Resource Center (PRC), Jessica Burko has curated Fran Forman’s solo exhibition “Obscure Intentions,” on view at the PRC in Cambridge, MA through December 1st, 2024. NOTE: There will be an Opening Reception with the artist TOMORROW, Thursday, October 17th from 6:00 – 8:00pm.
“Yellow Curtain” 2023 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
Once upon a time, people assumed that a photograph depicted something or someone who actually existed. But even then, negatives and prints could be manipulated in the darkroom and artists like Jerry Uelsmann became celebrated for their imaginative techniques. Then, with the advent of digital technology, assumptions of “reality” became completely dispelled. Now, AI-generated images are stirring controversy, this time about whether or not such pictures can be considered “real photographs.” The issue still seems to center around an artist’s intention to fool viewers. In Obscure Intentions, Fran Forman makes no bones about her methodology (and in fact, teaches workshops about it), blending her own photographs with AI rather than utilizing either one exclusively. The show’s title references both her technique and the aura of ambiguity lurking in her compositions.
“Sleeping in Blue” 2024 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
Fran Forman’s images wrestle with both personal and societal anxieties, from the intricacies of domestic relationships to broader issues of equality and democracy. They ask what lies ahead and ponder an uncertain future. It seems to me that apprehensive themes like these are a perfect philosophical fit for AI.
“Twins with Mirror” 2023 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
Feature Image: “Two Women” 2024 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
Forman’s dreamlike fantasies are imbued with lustrous tones and redolent light yet convey a subtly ambivalent mood. Drawing inspiration from Dutch Masters’ paintings, Edward Hopper’s mastery of light and atmosphere, and the drama of noir cinema, Forman heightens emotional tension by contrasting reality and illusion, light and dark, mystery and calm. The inherent tranquility of her scenarios provokes both intrigue and disquiet in the absence of a clear narrative.
“Braids” 2023 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
Nearly all of Forman’s images on view feature human faces, some recognizable and others that look alien. Her realistic figures are often framed in traditional spaces that present choices in the form of doors and windows. Sometimes the subject is confronted with a painted portrait from the past or the dare of a mirror. Most often they face away, as if peering into an unknown.
“Chemist in an Orange Dress” 2023 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
“Brothers” 2023 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
Forman’s otherworldly images are also questioning but are distinctly dystopic and foreboding. Facing the viewer head-on, these figures often have oddly shaped bodies and facial features, ghostly pale skin and expressionless eyes. The bizarre feeling is further intensified by their odd costumes and occasional shapeshifting. In Obscure Intentions, Fran Forman’s images of voracious imagination and refined artistry declare that we are definitely not in Kansas anymore while imploring us to ask what kind of future we could face.
“Cat Person” 2023 by Fran Forman, courtesy of the artist and PRC.
For more information about this exhibit and associated programming, go to: https://www.prcboston.org/fran-forman-obscure-intentions/
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