Edition 2021
as part of the Louis Roederer Discovery Award
PRESENTED BY
AS-IS.LA GALLERY, LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
TARRAH KRAJNAK
MASTER RITUALS II: WESTON’S NUDES
Tarrah Krajnak’s work makes clear reference to the history of photography, on the one hand, and to the artist’s identity as a Latin-American woman, on the other. A sequel to her first critical homage to Ansel Adams, this series is consecrated to another North American « master », Edward Weston. Krajnak here re-enacts the famous Nudes. She takes the place of models Bertha Wardell and Charis Wilson, reproducing their poses—but also depicts herself as author of the photographs, a remote shutter release in hand. Restoring to the picture what Weston left outside the frame or emphasizing Weston’s framing choices—what he excluded—using simple wooden panels, Krajnak replays a significant chapter in the history of photography while re-focusing on the role of the female model. Through this performative and photographic act, Krajnak affirms her Latin-American identity and her body of color. She creates through her presence and the gesture of image reconstruction a dialogue with her predecessor, Weston, as well as with her contemporary viewers.
Tarrah Krajnak is the winner of the Jury Award OF THE LOUIS ROEDERER DISCOVERY AWARD 2021.
Tarrah Krajnak is nominated for the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles 2021.