The Collection
George Krause (born 1937)
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George Krause is one of the finest photographers ever
produced by Philadelphia. Death Mask is from Krause’s Qui
Riposa series which he began in 1959 and records cemetery monuments
and tombstones. It is a remarkable, close-up look at a deeply sculpted
marble tombstone portrait. The expressive visage has a striking three
dimensionality, caused by the dramatic effect of racking light bathing
the image. The face is propelled forward, and the carved concavity
behind it is drenched in darkness and recedes deeply. The emotive
success of the photo is a result of Krause’s technical virtuosity,
something for which he is well known. Writer Judith Stein has observed
that “Krause’s silver prints are unusual for the quantity and quality
of handwork the artist requires to achieve his desired images. During
the developing process, he paints each print with a variety of toners
and uses bleaches and intensifiers to coax subtle contrasts and rich
shades and tones to emerge.” Krause’s ability to turn the ordinary
into something exceptional is his special gift. |
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