Bob Holmgren's Mondo Holga

Photo: Bob Holmgren

I never cease to be amazed how such potent art, full of mystery and wonder, can be created from the very simplest of cameras. Photographs not only unique in their vision and presentation, but also in their very personality- and how they affect one's own perception and psyche. I'm talking of course of the humble Holga. 

While most cameras and photographers strive to present the "reality" of our waking lives in every possible detail, the Holga strives to present life on a level of consciousness somewhere down there, below whatever lurks there- it operates in dream time. For those who have mastered its technique, it offers insights and glimpses into realities unseen by hard edged precision optics; for those who gaze upon its images, it takes them well beyond whatever the subject matter might happen to be.

Photo: Bob Holmgren

(Not?) surprisingly, it's not a particularly easy technique to master successfully. Forget the technical imperfections and aesthetic implications- making it blurry does not automatically make the photo, as some would mistakenly construe. But a select few who dedicate themselves to "perfecting" the imperfect, do manage to produce some of the most startling, standout imagery in this era of digital duplication. I posted on Thomas Michael Alleman before, and more recently on a photo by Bob Holmgren, whose work ranges from the humorous to the slightly otherworldly, the carnival of life through the Bizarro mindset. 

It was a delight to see his prints recently at Rayko- they're actually printed on... tracing paper, the finished products looking every bit like a precautionary tale on how not to dry mount- a myriad of ripples run like waves throughout the surface of each print. Really not quite exactly sure what this effect is supposed to induce (a further nod down the road of imperfection?)- more importantly, while it may not necessarily enhance the experience, it doesn't sabotage or detract from the images either...

Photo: Bob Holmgren