Photographic Prevarications
For the last eight years, I have been working with pictures that I re-photograph in one way or another, suggesting a tautology or a form of meta-photography. I use this duplicative tactic as a way of exploring the inherent tension that exists within photography?its ability to both depict and deceive, simultaneously.
In my latest work, which I call Photographic Prevarications, space, planes, and objects themselves are presented in such a way as to underscore photography?s ability to tell untruths. In this way, I coax the viewer to question the nature of photography itself?by making them aware that they are looking at, and perceiving, a photograph, not looking at the subject matter of the photograph.
By using these tactics, emphasizing the tension that exists within photography, playing up its ability to dissemble, I have moved its emphasis from transparency to trickery. This in turn posits the viewer at a point where depiction and deception meet?and hopefully leaves them teetering between the two.
Richard Koenig
Richard Koenig (b. 1960) received his BFA from Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, New York) and his MFA from Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana). He has taught art and photography courses at Kalamazoo College, Michigan, since the fall of 1998.
Richard is having two concurrent one-person exhibits in 2008: South Bend Regional Museum of Art (March 15th to May 18th) and The Richmond Center for Visual Arts?Western Michigan University (April 24th through the summer).
Mr. Koenig has attended several artist residencies, including the American Academy in Rome and the Millay Colony for the Arts (New York State). In addition to his photographic work, his videos have been shown in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, Japan, and Yugoslavia.
He is represented by Editions Fawbush in New York, and FLATFILEgalleries, in Chicago.
