Using constructed abstract environments, mirrors, subtly lit planes of glass or blurred, inanimate objects for her subject matter, photographer Barbara Kasten creates images that frequent leave the viewer baffled and bedazzled. She builds complicated environments then carefully lights them, sometimes creating technicolour abstract collisions, other times allusive, enigmatic shades and shadows. Looking at her work its often hard to deduce exactly what you're looking at, and the brain struggles to get a sense of scale - something not that common in photography. Kasten encourages this sense of confusion by keeping recognisable reference points out of the photographs. Even when photographing actual objects or places, such as classical statues, or archaeological digs in New Mexico or Turkey, the images are lit so as to appear staged and unreal, or pushed out of focus to the blurred limits of perception.
The Bauhaus movement, Constructivism, Abstract Expressionism (the Juxtaposition series features Pollock's drip paintings), and 1980s architectures have all influenced Kasten, who has been shooting for over thirty years now, and her photographs have mirrored the prevailing trends in art over the decades. She cleverly manages to use contemporary references in all her series, whilst staying true to her vision.
From the 'Architectural' series, 1980s
From the 'Studio Construct' series, 2007
From the 'New Mexico' series, 1990s
From the 'Construct' series, 1980s
From the 'Juxtaposition' series, 1980s
From the 'Greece' series, 1990s
From the 'Studio Construct' series, 2007
From the 'Architectural' series, 1980s
From the 'Construct' series, 1990s
From the 'New Mexico' series, 1990s
From the 'Architectural' series, 1980s
From the 'Incidence' series, 2010
From the 'Juxtaposition' series, 1980s
All images © Barbara Kasten
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