A modern past

Two artists, two approaches to photography. Terry Berlier, UC Davis alumna and Stanford University professor, curated Between You and Me, an exhibition featuring Jamil Hellu and Naomi Vanderkindren and their very different photographic works.

While the images and style of each artist are distinct, the history of photography and its traditional processes tie them together. Hellu, for instance, uses a large-format camera to create portraits, as was done in the 19th century. And like those early pictures, the sitters are static and the composition simple. But Hellu’s work, with mesmerizing optical quality thanks to his choice of format, deviates because he captures his subjects in color. Their moments in front of the camera are quiet and honestly intimate.

Vanderkindren, on the other hand, utilizes not only photography, but collage, drawings and layers of paper to create black-and-white images that deconstruct the past and refashion it into what she calls “photogenic drawings.” The results are intriguing and mysterious.

Between you and me, this show is a must-see.