Pou, chasse aux champignons, Drôme, 2020
Inkjet print
Edition 1 of 5
30 x 26 cm
Pou, chasse aux champignons depicts one of Lerma's friends confronting a natural scene in a confident pose, captured during an unplanned outing. A sense of foreboding prevails as the figure's calm is contrasted by the architectural landscape's heavy shadows, emphasising their strength against the illusory uncharted landscape. The composition features a structural convex that focuses the index on the figure's upper back. The criss-crossing axes, illuminated by hallowed sensual light, freeze the figure in space like an apparition.
Deconstructing Friedrichian romanticism: The influence of Caspar Friedrich is evident in the depiction of the figure's unfazed pose confronting nature, accentuating the individual against the unexplored wilderness. This portrayal underscores the figure's resilience and strength (Butin,2014),1 especially considering their position in the middle of the largely obscure and dim area. The trees towering above the figure obstruct the scene beyond, suggesting a barrier that the figure must overcome. This contrasts with the distant landscape of the eternal beyond depicted by Friedrich, implying that Lerma's figure is actually living the reality that Friedrich only romanticised.
Micro-utopian experiment of a liminal communitas: Lea Lerma's work depicts two friends participating in a micro-utopian experiment initiated during the second COVID-19 lockdown. This experiment explored alternative social and physical constructs within a derelict urban structure and later extended into the wilderness. The group, reminiscent of Turner's "communitas," exists within a "liminal space" (Turner, 1995)2 characterised by suspended societal norms and temporal ambiguity. The group's gestures, movements, interactions, and clothing contribute to this ambiguity. While the group's experiment initially represented idealism, Lerma's work contrasts this by portraying the harsh realities of life in these environments, which are physically more dangerous and bear the mental pressures of urban life.
A subversive psychological fairytale quest: Lerma's protagonists, akin to Red Riding Hood and Snow White, are young adults transitioning into adulthood, venturing into uncharted territories (Lüthi, 1976)3 and undergoing self-definition (Flores, 1996).4 Fantastical elements within Lerma's work facilitate suspension of disbelief while grounding scenes in tangible reality (Vasudeven, 2017).5
Free, fearless, uncontrolled and unsafe: Lerma's communitas, unlike alternative subcultural "safe spaces," prioritises openness and risk over safety. This "unsafe" space facilitates greater freedom, potentially including the risk of mortality. Activities such as hanging around cliff edges like here in the wilderness, with no access to emergency services or basic necessities, exemplify this extreme openness.
Notes:
1 Butin, Hubertus. Gerhard Richter’s Editions and The Discourses of Images. In Gerhard Richter Editions 1965–2013, edited by Hubertus Butin, Stefan Gronert, and Thomas Olbricht. Hanje Cantz, 2014.
2 Turner, Victor. The Ritual Process. 1995.
3 Lüthi, Max. Once Upon a Time: On the Nature of Fairy Tales. F. Ungar Pub. Co,1976.
4 Flores, Nona C. Animals in the Middle Ages: The Book of Essays. 1996.
5 Vasudeven, Alexander. “Reassembling the City: Makeshift Urbanisms and the Politics of Squatting in Berlin.” The Autonomous City: A History of Urban Squatting. Verso, 2017.
Frame: Unframed
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Close Considerations
Ambiguous light, heightened tension, ominous arrival: The figure is bathed in luminous light, standing out against the ominously thick black shadows. While the light source is ambiguous, it highlights the figure without fully immersing it in brightness, creating a contrast that Lerma frequently employs. This contrast heightens the tension, suggesting an ominous arrival that the figure calmly anticipates. The scarf on the figure's head shimmers like a crown, the skin reflects the light, while the t-shirt's folds absorb it, creating a sensual and romantic aura amidst the rough and ominous textures.
Rembrandt’s light: This use of light serves as a reminder of the inherent duality, reflecting a "continuous rhythm from light to dark, dark to light" (Mikuriya, 2017).1 Much like Rembrandt's masterful manipulation of light to create mood, Lerma's use of light "ebbs and flows in softly throbbing waves" (Scott & Hillyard, 2019),2 imbuing the scene with a dreamlike quality.
Progress of time through light and space: The meaning unfolds within the picture itself, progressing from the undifferentiated, blurry background of the 'before' to the stark, light-revealed climax of the 'now,' culminating in a heightened emphasis through the intensification of light, colour saturation, and materiality (Nochlin, 1985, p.32),3 leading the viewer from darkness and blur to brightness and clarity.
Spatial synchrony and entrapment in the spiralling vortex: The figure in Lerma's spiralling composition is intricately aligned with the landscape, creating a spatial synchrony that expands the figure's presence and integrates it organically into the environment. The angles of the figure's folded arms align with the landscape lines—the left arm parallels the tree branch-ground division, while the right arm follows the direction of the branches' connection to the trunk. The head is positioned directly beneath the highest tree, elongating the figure spatially and creating a sense of centralised suspension. This effect is further stressed by the spiral that whirls around the figure by the trees at the top as the mouth which then narrows around the figure, trapping them in a suspended state, like an apparition held frozen within its vortex.
Fairytale aesthetics of the crucible for self-discovery: The figure's pirate-like attire suggests fearlessness and a confrontation with the wild. This characteristic is further described by their tattoo, created by friends within the political collective. The figure's appearance reflects the fairytale characteristic of the group members, who break away from their homes and venture into the unknown on a quest for self-discovery, facing real threats in the wilderness. The picture establishes the figure as a leader and protector, evoking a sense of safety for the viewer, who takes the place of the artist at the back.
Notes:
1 Mikuriya, Junko Theresa. A History of Light: The Idea of Photography. Bloomsbury, 2017.
2 Scott, Jennifer, and Hillyard, Helen. Rembrandt’s Light. London: Philip Wilson, 2019.
3 Nochlin, Linda. Realism. Penguin Books, 1985.
Process
Pre-emptive intuitional composing: Lerma's process involves anticipating and capturing spontaneous configurations among her friends in various spaces, employing intuitive pre-emption to preserve the moment's energy and mystique. She utilises specific camera settings, such as a wide aperture and slow shutter speed, to capture details in dimly lit spaces, contributing to the mood and emotional depth. She strategically positions herself or awaits the ideal light or for her subjects to assume particular poses or interactions, balancing spontaneity with a clear intention regarding the desired capture, resulting in organic yet meticulously crafted compositions.
Unprivileged view: Lerma's compositions align with Tillmans' notion of the "unprivileged view" (Godfrey, 2017),1where the artist's presence minimally influences the scene. Subjects often remain oblivious to Lerma, creating an atmosphere that "provokes a feeling of not mattering rather than command" (Ibid.),2 enabling the viewer to engage with the scene without undue artist interference.
Embedded ethnography: Lerma assumes the role of a "documentary observer," employing a systematic process of observation to allow the landscape to reveal itself without imposition, as articulated by hooks (1997).3 From within the communitas, Lerma offers a literal perspective aligned with Turner's concept of “heroic time,” rendering her an effective anthropologist of her own culture (Turner, 1985).4 Her ethos mirrors the communitas' values, characterised by a spontaneous and immediate approach to relationships. Subjects within the communitas retain the autonomy to approve or withdraw consent for the use of their photographs.
Process as political action: Rancière's (1999)5 framework on the “aesthetics of politics” posits that art transforms into political activity by disrupting the established symbolic order through the exposure of previously invisible elements. Lerma's practice, while intertwined with her political life, differs from photojournalism, which presents events as mere records or spectacles. Conversely, Lerma captures "the image of the photographic rhetoric that is purported to capture the event" (Guerra, 2006),6 offering a comprehensive understanding of the group's actions and underlying processes.
Discontinuities, asymmetries, and open frames: Lerma's breaks the focus by using discontinuities, asymmetries, and open frames enriching this scene by disrupting its visual harmony and preventing rigidity. John Slyce (2000) notes, "The frame sets limits while offering a tangible means of escape."7 Lerma achieves this through cropped sections, leading lines extending beyond the frame, figures interacting with off-frame elements, and awkward props.
Disconnected instants and implicit intertextuality: Lerma's works, presented in artist books with variable image sequences, allow each work to be viewed within diverse contexts. This lack of a fixed sequence creates a dynamic constellation of "disconnected instants" (Berger & Bohr, 1982),8 where juxtaposition generates echoes, contrasts, and recurrences, forming "implicit intertextuality" (Ricœur, 1984).9 While the book format provides a meta-continuation, Lerma's practice of altering the sequence ensures each picture's autonomy, emphasising its individual sovereignty.
Iterative composing and tautological reinforcement: Lerma's iterative compositional process generates multiple variants to elucidate the core structure and select the most impactful representation. This tautological approach reinforces the compositional elements' conjunction and interrelationships, as Allison Smith (1998)10 asserts. Despite facial anonymity, Lerma offers hints about her subjects' identities through body language and poses across different tautological contexts, facilitating viewer interpretation of actions and interactions, and engendering a viewer-subject relationship.
Notes:
1 Godfrey, Mark. Worldview. In Wolfgang Tillmans 2017, edited by Chris Dercon, Helen Sainsbury, and Wolfgang Tillmans, Tate, 2017, pp.14-76.
2 Ibid.
3 hooks, bell. “Between Us: Traces of Love—Dickinson, Horn, Hooks.” In Earths Grow Thick, Wexner Center for the Arts, 1997.
4 Turner, Victor. On the Edge of the Bush. 1985.
5 Rancière, Jacques. Disagreement: Politics and Philosophy. University of Minnesota Press, 1999.
6 Guerra, Carles. Notre Histoire, Catalogue of the Exhibition. Paris: Palais de Tokyo, 2006.
7 Slyce, John. On Time, Performative Realism: The Photographs of Sarah Jones, Museum Folkwang, 2000.
8 Berger, John, and Jean Bohr. Another Way of Telling: A Possible Theory of Photography. Bloomsbury, 1982.
9 Ricœur, Paul. Time and Narrative. Translated by Kathleen McLaughlin and David Pellauer, University of Chicago Press, 1984.
10 Smith, Allison. Agnes Varda. Manchester University Press, 1998.
References
Hitchcockian Vertigo: Lerma has cited Hitchcock's cinematic portrayal of vertigo as a strong inspiration. While the spiral in other works makes this more explicit, the dizzying disorientation can result from looking down from the edge, the sense of disorientation and potential loss of control in the face of nature's power, reflecting the psychological disorientation (Hurley, 1993).1 The individuals depicted seem to be in a state of perpetual vertigo that renders them indifferent to the physical elements.
Vinca Petersen: Lea Lerma's reference to Vinca Petersen, the artist and former nomadic squat dweller, highlights their shared experiences. While Petersen's group embraced rave and party culture, Lerma's resonance aligns more closely with Petersen's depictions of interpersonal connection and natural landscapes, capturing moments of ecopsychological euphoria. (Image: vincapetersen.com © Vinca Petersen)
Goya’s progression of time through light and space: Goya's Third of May unfolds temporally and spatially within the pictorial field. The narrative progresses from an undifferentiated background, describing the 'before,' to a climactic, light-revealed execution scene, representing the 'now,' and concludes with fallen figures at the pictorial boundary, signifying the 'afterwards.' This temporal progression is reinforced by light intensity, colour saturation, and materiality, as noted by Nochlin (1985).2
Surrealism: Similar to the problematic light effects in the works of Delvaux, De Chirico, Ernst, Dali, Tanguy, and Miró, Lerma's work features an unknowable light source that bathes the figures in unnatural scenes that appear staged or digitally manipulated. The forest setting, devoid of any discernible light source, is illuminated by both hard and soft light, casting ominously thick black shadows from architectural elements. This juxtaposition of light and darkness creates a menacing atmosphere.
Andrei Tarkovsky's Landscapes: Tarkovsky's portrayal of humanity in a state of loss within natural landscapes is recalled in Lerma's work, which, through her community's actions, evokes a similar sense of being enveloped by expansive and immersive scenes. Lerma's compositional structures echo Tarkovsky's landscape aesthetics. (Image: Andrei Tarkovsky, Stalker, 1979)
Caspar David Friedrich’s romanticism: Friedrich Schleiermacher, a contemporary of Caspar Friedrich (whom Lerma cites as an influence), redefined religion as an internal, instinctual experience, departing from doctrinal interpretations (Butin, 2014).3 While Friedrich's and Lerma's works depict nature, this particular picture of Lerma’s subverts the traditional hope of transcendental possibilities. Instead, it presents a state of oblivion, akin to imminent psychological death and complete disillusionment, yet replete with potential dopamine and serotonin effects. (Image: Caspar David Friedrich's painting "Chalk Cliffs on Rügen" Kunst Museum Winterthur)
Clement Cogitore's Work: Cogitore, another reference point of Lerma’s, explores themes of irrationality, archaic schemas, primitivism, sacred survival, magic's infiltration into a world losing faith in transcendence, and apocalyptic figures. Ancient forms are recontextualised through contemporary image perception, where technology and the internet have replaced magic, yet the unconscious remains in pursuit of belief (Vergne, 2018).4
Fairytales: Lerma's visual narrative draws from historic fairytales, featuring ordinary protagonists immersed in fantastical realms (Swann Jones, 2013).5 Like Red Riding Hood and Snow White, Lerma's protagonists are young adults transitioning into adulthood, venturing into uncharted territories (Lüthi, 1976)6 and defining themselves (Flores, 1996).7Fantastical elements in Lerma's work facilitate suspension of disbelief (Vasudeven, 2017).8 The depicted moments remain authentic, subtly altered by Lerma's presence, perspective, and technique, creating a captivating dissonance in the fantastical scenes grounded in reality.
Sarah Jones and Dutch-Flemish Painting: Lerma's works, including this one, often exhibit structural configurations similar to Jones's pictures and Dutch-Flemish painting. Figures appear deeply engrossed, while settings pulsate with subtle significance (Higgie, 2000).9 A system of micro-signs forms a psychological narrative, with hints found in hand and foot positioning (Troncy, 2000).10 Lerma's brilliance lies in the silent interplay of places, objects, and people, which convey the intensity of a Greek drama (Higgie, 2000).11
Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Vermeer: Lerma's work resonates more with Rembrandt than Caravaggio or Vermeer, all of whom she mentions in discussing her practice. Her figures though caught in chiaroscuro-like moments and in quiet poses of Vermeer, exhibit Rembrandt’s quality of calm yet bold receptivity and a sense of awe towards the potential for transcendence within the ordinary. The evanescent light on the figures, sometimes subtle and other times radiant, imbues them with a mystical connection.
Nan Goldin: Lerma's work is influenced by Nan Goldin's exploration of intimate relationships, capturing moments of isolation, self-revelation, and adoration (Sussman, 1996).12 However, Lerma's approach differs from Goldin's photojournalistic snapshots, as Lerma's work is meticulously composed through pre-emption and tautology, resulting in a unique, rigorous, and more metaphysical visual language.
Notes:
1 Hurley, Neil P. Soul in Suspense: Hitchcock’s Fright and Delight. Scarecrow Press, 1993.
2 Nochlin, Linda. Realism. Penguin Books, 1985.
3 Butin, Hubertus. Gerhard Richter’s Editions and The Discourses of Images. In Gerhard Richter Editions 1965–2013, edited by Hubertus Butin, Stefan Gronert, and Thomas Olbricht. Hanje Cantz, 2014.
4 Vergne, Jean-Charles, and Clement Cogitore. Le Prix Marcel Duchamp. SilvaneEditoriale, 2018.
5 Swann Jones, Steven. The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of the Imagination. 1995.
6 Lüthi, Max. Once Upon a Time: On the Nature of Fairy Tales. F. Ungar Pub. Co,1976.
7 Flores, Nona C. Animals in the Middle Ages: The Book of Essays. 1996.
8 Vasudeven, Alexander. “Reassembling the City: Makeshift Urbanisms and the Politics of Squatting in Berlin.” The Autonomous City: A History of Urban Squatting. Verso, 2017.
9 Higgie, Jennifer. Sarah Jones. Le Consortium, 2000.
10 Troncy, Eric. Sarah Jones. Le Consortium, 2000.
11 Ibid (8)
12 Sussman, Elisabeth. Nan Goldin: I’ll be Your Mirror. Whitney Museum of American Art, 1996.