Sara VanDerBeek on Abstraction, Color, and the Movement of Memory

In an interview with Etienne Hatt for artpress, American photographer Sara VanDerBeek discusses abstraction in photography, her use of manipulated color, and her connection to Barbara Kasten. VanDerBeek argues that photography is inherently abstract, citing early salt prints by William Henry Fox Talbot and the recent NASA image of Andromeda. She describes how in her 2013 solo show at Metro Pictures and 2014 exhibition 'Ancient Objects, Still Lives' at Altman Siegel, she manipulated colors to evoke multiple temporal states—for example, removing yellow display lighting to push ancient sculptures to a pink tone reminiscent of their original polychromy. Her work in Quito, Ecuador, at Casa del Alabado inspired vibrant textiles and architectural details, with pink flares symbolizing the rupture of European colonization. VanDerBeek admires Kasten's recent works 'Scene' and 'Studio Constructs' for their elemental quality and connection to Talbot's simplicity. She combines prints and sculptures, influenced by Bauhaus and Black Mountain College, aiming for a poetic arrangement of images and objects. Her upcoming exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art (April 12–September 2015) explores the movement of memory through materials like marble and concrete, and includes images of dancers inspired by Yvonne Rainer's minimalist text.