In an era when vast accretions of consumer detritus and the vapid anecdotalism of digital media seem poised to overtake human creativity, authentic storytelling and the tangible materials of human existence take on elemental value as a means of connection, survival, and reinvention. In different media, but with the same rigorous and clear-sighted approach, artists Maximo González and Ato Ribeiro are innovating the philosophical and aesthetic sensibilities that will carry future generations forward into new modes of existence.

An homage to both contemporary photographic theory and the black and white binary that defined early photography, the intensely argent surfaces of Danh’s works present a secondary imagery resembling a double exposure, a vibration of shadow and light around the composition’s edges. Whether in the stark chambers of injustice or the luminous expressions of monumental gods, Danh’s images record a secret energy at play in all human endeavors. 

Danh is well known for his rigorous photographic experimentation, having previously innovated a method of printing images on living leaves in order to create a botanical archive of victims of the atrocities in Vietnam and Cambodia. Similarly, creation of the Yosemite series involved outfitting a specialized van for the on-site creation of large-scale daguerreotypes and spending many seasons camping and working from within the park.