Subtraction by Sebastian Lemm (April 13, 2010) 
(26 votes, average: 3.35 out of 5)
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Introduction by Michael Mazzeo
The artists I present here all begin with the common ground that is a view of the land. From that point on, their work diverges radically as they take different routes to very different, but equally profound destinations. What draws me to these works is an appreciation of the artists’ journeys from concept through execution and the diverse methodologies employed as personal challenges lead to insight. The land here is just that, it is a fertile ground. It is a foundation upon which the the artists stake their ideas and build upon them. Dialogs with history are apparent as are attempts to glimpse the future. Forests are stripped bare and landscapes reconfigured. There is fear and chaos, obsession and anxiety, serenity and beauty. Far from being straight photographs, these images are all altered in some way by natural, mechanical, or digital intervention yet they effectively and convincingly transcend process to give us a clearer view of our world.
Michael Mazzeo is owner and director of Michael Mazzeo Gallery that specializes in contemporary photography, works on paper and related media and is located in New York City’s Chelsea Gallery District.
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Our poll "A photo essay always needs a great written story" closed. 267 people voted, 28% agrees, 72% disagrees. 233 people answered our follow-up question "Are you a photographer?" 82% indicated they are, 18% said no. Initially, negative answers to question #1 were almost 100% as was the pecentage of photographers among respondants. Then, when the level of non-photographers started to rise, the percentage of people indicating good text is always essential started to rise too. This seems to indicate that non-photographers think that adding good text to your photo essays is essential. In my opinion: if you want non-photographers to dig your work, you know what to do...
In subtraction (2006-2008), I eliminated most of the original image information via the digital editing process.
This absence of information, or void, does not show what is lost since the memory of it (in the photographic sense) is erased.
By eliminating information, I not only draw attention to what is left but also to what is no longer there. It is up to the viewer to ‘fill in the blanks’.
As a photo-based artist, I see myself as the link between two realities—the one outside of the camera and the one that begins once the photograph has been taken. Rather than documenting or ‘capturing the moment,’ I want to show what is not immediately visible.
My work is informed by nature in a broad sense. Visually, I am fascinated by seemingly random structures in the natural environment and I see parallels to patterns or events in my own life.
Taking a more wide-ranging definition of nature, I am attracted to subtleties of human interactions, the ’subconscious and physics’ theories about dimensions that are outside of our perception. Although these ideas may not be inherently obvious in my images, they do have a significant impact on my artistic process.
Apart from experiences in my own life, inspiration for my work comes from concepts of Romanticism especially those of Caspar David Friedrich, texts by Edmund Burke (about ‘‘Sublime and Beautiful’), Gilles Deleuze (‘Rhizome’) and Roland Barthes (‘Camera Lucida’).
Sebastian Lemm (unknown) lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
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