The narrow, straight edges of the white paper and the pop of color from the photos on the pages.

If one sees a book, the person might see the illustrations or the words on the pages. They will rarely notice the way the pages fall or how they the pages look when they reflect from each other.  This is what the photographer, Mary Ellen Bartley, is documenting in her project called Standing Open. She is from New York, and this is her fourth series about books. The subjects of the photographs are books, and the main focus is on the pages and illustrations, rather than the words or binding. The “pigment prints” were mostly created in 2011, but a few were created in 2010. The photographs are named after the books title, as you can see at http://www.maryellenbartley.com/standing-open. Mary Ellen Bartley explains in her artist statement, “While shooting my stacks and rows of tightly closed paperback books I began seeing some of the standing books loosen up, allowing a view of the space between their pages. I was drawn into the unique interior space of the books. I began opening all kinds of books and placing them standing open around my space where sunlight might fall on them.” The pictures themselves have a complex relationship between the narrow, straight edges of the white paper and the pop of color from the photos on the pages. This series offers the view a unique and private encounter with the books. This piece has a high level of abstraction and a contrasting relationship between detail and mystery. I believe that the series gently explains a few things to the viewers. First of all, I think it forces the viewers to look at a book differently. The purpose of the book changes in a few ways. It is no longer thought of as just what holds the beautiful pictures together. Instead, there is a relationship between the binding and pages that creates meaning in the series. It conjures an idea of “Beauty in Banality.” The images also arouse a sense of mystery and gives the viewer a false sense of knowledge. There is a great amount of detail in the pictures, however, many pictures are blurred and the viewer only knows what lies on the pages shown.  In fact, the viewer does not have a clue of what lies on the pages before and after what is photographed. Although, the books seem to open up themselves and sit perfectly, one knows that the photography played a part in it. This also helps explain that the photographer is picking the books that she wanted to use. Her use of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photography in her shot, Hiroshi Sugimoto, reveals a lot about recycling images in her work. She explains, “On another level I’m fascinated by conceptual ideas concerning appropriation and reproduction in a mechanical versus digital age that the work can’t help but throw into question.” When I noticed this particular image, I felt she had a small connection to Sherrie Levine. Although, she just recycled and represented the images in a different way. She had some want to use those books. Basically, through her work she addresses apportionment and the purpose of certain objects. In turn, this changes the way we see how books function in our lives and how new art can be created. Maybe this series expresses her desire of books, passion for photography, or is a way for the viewers to understand what she thinks of books.

I disagreed with a few of the critiques, because many explained that the series was hyper sexual. According to artsatl.com. “Likewise, Mary Ellen Bartley’s black-and-white photographs from her “Standing Open” series, “Untitled Diptych (Neck)” and “Untitled Diptych (Hip),” give us an interesting take on traditional scopophilia. Her images offer fragments of the female form, glimpsed between the pages of a book that resemble vertical window blinds. Not only a reference to erotic literature, these voyeuristic compositions play with notions of the hidden and the revealed, and their combined effect on the erotic imagination.” I believe that the pictures were taken for beauty and art, rather than pleasure. Mary Ellen Bartley, in her artist statement, explains, “"This is my fourth series of photographs looking at books. While shooting my stacks and rows of tightly closed paperback books I began seeing some of the standing books loosen up, allowing a view of the space between their pages. I was drawn into the unique interior space of the books. I began opening all kinds of books and placing them standing open around my space where sunlight might fall on them. Using the chance settling of the pages and a close up view, this quickly became a project of looking into my photography books in a new way, with my gaze falling into and out of the books and into and out of abstraction. This work interests me on many levels. First is the sheer beauty of the physical books and the unique formal discoveries of looking at them close up. Among the repeating formal motifs I’ve found are the stripes the pages create, the shadowy voids between pages that read like burns or stains, and the reflections the photos can make on the pages facing them. On another level I’m fascinated by conceptual ideas concerning appropriation and reproduction in a mechanical versus digital age that the work can’t help but throw into question. What is the unique aura or presence of a book? Finally what drives the work for me is the emotional connection I have to the books. I’m trying to evoke the sensuality and intimacy of reading and looking through books as well as the fleeting inspiration, little jolts of connection, found for readers in books they love." I think that I interpreted most of what she felt when she was creating these pieces, however, I did not totally believe that she had an intense relationship or “emotional connection” to the books. Overall, I think this series is meaningful and helps us examine other art and our lives. It is well done and is a successful body of work, because it brings up questions about how we view art and what is conceived as meaningless objects.

                                               Works Cited

Cotter, Christina. "Art in Atlanta." ArtsATL Review Photographers Explore Many Facets of Lust at Jennifer Schwartz Gallery Comments. N.p., 11 Apr. 2012. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

"Jane Fulton Alt: On Books, Ragdale and Mary Ellen Bartley." Jane Fulton Alt: On Books, Ragdale and Mary Ellen Bartley. N.p., 8 May 2012. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

Smith, Roberta. "ART IN REVIEW; 'Reader's Delight'" The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 July 2010. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.