Discarded Images, New Narratives: Penelope Umbrico's Artistic Exploration
Issue 01 Distortion
Penelope Umbrico
Writer: Joven Delay
Editor: Jiani Wang
Image Credit: Artist
Videographer: Jiani Wang
Photographer: Jiani Wang
Salvaged from the junkyard that is the online web, Penelope Umbrico emerges as a master of appropriation, transforming discarded images into compelling artworks that delve into the depths of our consumerist world and the technology that appears to have, in turn, consumed it. Umbrico experiments with media to create her installations, videos come to life, large-scale collages take form, and collections of forgotten items find new purpose. Umbrico's process involves a relentless indulgence in open-sourced media, rescuing images left to gather digital dust. Disassembling and reassembling, she skillfully dissects, rearranges, and prints them, unveiling a visual tapestry that captures the essence of our digital age—full images, or perhaps, a collage of fragments.
Discarded Images, New Narratives: Penelope Umbrico's Artistic Exploration
In the Gowanus section of Brooklyn, beneath the imposing structure of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, amidst the industrial hum of Lowes and Home Depot, photographer and visual artist Penelope Umbrico invites us into her studio. It's a unique space, containing both physical and digital pieces, where innovation and creativity intersect. As her dog, Franklin, patrols the studio, collaged photos splay across both walls and tables, a graveyard of disassembled screens lean and slouch against one another, and we embark on a journey into the world of a seasoned artist who has mastered the art of making a mess.
A native of Toronto, Canada, Umbrico moved to New York City in 1986. Her studio provides a respite from the chaos of the city where she can begin to break down both thoughts and electronics. Having spent more time in the city than in her hometown, Umbrico reflects on her artistic evolution, which began at the Ontario College of Art and Design, where she focused in drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking.
Reflecting on her early foray into photography, she notes the liberating feeling of not knowing much about the process—a feeling she has retained even as she delves deeper into the technology and nuanced conversations of authorship and appropriation in photography.
Ever since, Umbrico has immersed herself in a vast sea of online images. Her collection of images spans a myriad of items, from photos of objects, often broken, in hopes of selling them, to images containing hidden intimate scenes, sourced from platforms like eBay and Craigslist. These images have become the raw material for her ongoing project—an exploration of "the production and consumptions of images and our mediated experience of the world through photography and the screen.”
The Suns from Sunsets from Flickr Series: Collective Rituals in Photography
In 2006, Umbrico found that “sunset” was one of the most photographed subjects on Flickr, an innocuous yet globally appreciated subject captured everyday by millions of people. Instagram was yet to make its debut, and platforms like MySpace and Facebook were still in their infancy. It was a moment before the rise of the "me" culture, and the landscape of social media was uncharted territory, devoid of the selfies and "internet influencers" that would come to define the digital era, a precursor to the individualistic trends that would dominate online spaces.
For Penelope Umbrico, the allure lay in the sheer wonder that surrounded the sun, a singular celestial body that captivated the lenses of countless photographers. In 2006, there were 541,791 sunsets captured on Flickr. Umbrico downloaded images that included a complete sun, and cropped just the sun from each, adding them to the collective mosaic of this awe-inspiring phenomenon. Printing each image and installing them in large grids, the project has grown and transformed over time, becoming a dynamic exploration of the sun’s omnipresence. With each installation, Umbrico updates the title, aligning it with the ever-expanding number of results the search term "sunset" accrues on Flickr and the date of the search.
Fast forward to today, and Flickr alone boasts over 49 million pictures of sunsets alone. This staggering number, encompassing only one platform, underscores the universality of capturing the same moment—different perspectives converging in a shared snapshot of time.
Umbrico marvels at the beauty inherent in so many people simultaneously photographing the same celestial entity. It's a testament to the synchronicity of human experience, a collective ritual where individuals, scattered across the globe, engage in the act of capturing the sun at precisely the same moment.
In Umbrico's view, the act of claiming sole authorship runs counter to the enchanting collective ritual. Insisting that one's photograph is unique undermines the beauty of a shared experience. In essence, in this shared experience of photographing and sharing an image of something seen by millions, your photograph becomes indistinguishable from the multitude, a paradoxical desire to both stand out and conform.
This phenomenon sparks a profound conversation about individuality in a world saturated with shared experiences. When one captures a moment, it is inherently meaningful at that specific juncture. However, the act of sharing it within the vast expanse of a digital landscape diminishes its individuality, weaving it into the fabric of collective human expression. Umbrico acknowledges the complexity of this dynamic, recognizing that participation in this collective endeavor is an integral aspect of our modern existence. The Suns from Sunsets Series becomes not just a visual exploration but a catalyst for contemplation on the intricate dance between individuality and shared experiences in the digital age.
Ceramic Cats: Sentimental Resonance in Objects
Umbrico's journey into the vast realm of online images started with a strange fascination—the backs of ceramic cats. In the digital landscape, cats have transcended mere domestic animals to become ubiquitous memes. Their playful and unpredictable nature lends itself to moments of joy and surprise, making them the perfect subjects for online engagement. For Umbrico, this metamorphosis of the cat into an online entity was a captivating phenomenon, prompting her to explore the metaphorical act of keeping such aloof creatures confined within a screen.
The ceramic felines, positioned with their backs turned to the viewer, have become a symbolic gesture to Umbrico—a cat turning its back on its owner, and in turn, to us. Each listing showcased owners meticulously photographing the inanimate creatures from various angles, accompanied by emotional descriptions like "take this nice kitty home, it'll warm your house" and "this sweet little thing would love to have an owner." Here, emotion and warmth were projected onto the rigid cold forms of the ceramic, transforming these aloof creatures into vessels for human sentiment. The white cat, in particular, took on a unique significance in this exploration. The lack of pigment in its ceramic form made it a canvas that could not absorb anything, reflecting back whatever emotions or projections were cast upon it.
Intriguingly, Umbrico endeavored to collect these white cats and insisted on preserving not only the ceramic object but also the boxes they came in. These boxes, for her, hold an essential context, pointing to the origin of the object. As she passionately describes her oddly obsessive relationship with boxes, Umbrico draws parallels between the screen itself and a box. This fascination traces back to her childhood, where the volumetric space containing a mystery within captivated her more than the actual contents of presents. In her world, when the cats are freed from their boxes, all that remains is an emptiness—an intriguing interplay between materiality and void that fuels Umbrico's artistic curiosity.
TVs from Craigslist: The Intimate Reflections of Unwanted TVs
In the realm of discarded objects, Umbrico finds a peculiar beauty in obsolescent technology where an unintended memento mori project capturing the demise of unwanted TVs is born. Each photograph, taken by someone parting ways with a television they no longer desire, serves as a haunting record. The ghostly reflection of the photographer forever imprinted on the screen becomes a poignant acknowledgment of the object's demise. The final piece becomes a visual meditation on the intersection of technology, individuality, and the inevitable passage of objects into obsolescence.
Despite the sellers' intent to remain unacknowledged in the commercial process, their fading reflections insist on asserting their presence—an ironic dance where individuality persists even as it dissipates within the frame. The utilitarian Craigslist photographs unveil personal and intimate snapshots into lives—each one distinct, offering glimpses into homes, lifestyles, and the faces and bodies of those parting with their televisions. Yet, paradoxically, these authentic reflections of self remain hidden, overshadowed by the primary intent: selling the objects.
The voyeuristic nature of these images is both overt and subtle. Individuals willingly share personal spaces, faces, and bodies, yet Umbrico approaches them with an unintended voyeuristic perspective. She peers into moments not intended for capture, extracting a unique narrative from the discarded remnants of consumer technology. However, this voyeurism is tempered by the acknowledgment that these images are willingly shared—an intersection of public and private realms.
Intriguingly, the types of photos that populated the Sunsets Portraits series are now impossible to find. Facial recognition technology, omnipresent in contemporary cameras, exposes for the face, not the sun, refusing the “mistake” of underexposure and silhouetting on the subject, rendering these captivating moments beyond capture. The absence of these sun-soaked images reflects not only technological advancements but also the evolving interplay between photography and the ever-watchful gaze of artificial intelligence.
The Intersection of AI and Art
Umbrico’s next project has evolved into a larger mission aimed at organizing her archive of more than 28,000 images into a coherent structure using AI and machine learning. As her work examines the evolution of the many ways people photograph objects over the years, and the collective content that is exponentially produced and consumed on the web, as technology advances, Umbrico is compelled by the idea of utilizing AI to organize her archive of images.
While the prospect of using an AI algorithm or script to organize her vast collection into a plot-driven narrative or typological taxonomy is enticing, she is just as interested in the possible failure of AI to do so.
Umbrico's Teaching Odyssey
Reflecting on her teaching, Umbrico unveils a poignant connection with her mother, a harpist. Despite the stark contrast in their disciplines, a shared teaching philosophy emerged. The roots of this shared approach trace back to Umbrico’s childhood when, at the age of ten, she, alongside her mother, embarked on the task of breaking down concepts for her younger brother who was diagnosed with autism as a child. She wonders if this early experience shaped her teaching style, instilling an inclination to deconstruct complex ideas into digestible parts—an approach she carries into her artistic pedagogy.
Upon her arrival in NYC, Umbrico's teaching unfolded organically. Engaging with local groups, she spearheaded projects with children in schools, laying the foundation for her expansive teaching portfolio. The 92nd Street YMCA and the International Center of Photography (ICP) became significant milestones, offering platforms where Umbrico could refine her pedagogical ideas before teaching at various prestigious art universities and colleges along the east coast. Crafting syllabi, breaking down topics, and creating materials became second nature—an iterative process that resonates with her innate ability to deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge.
Teaching, for Umbrico, is a dialogue—a dynamic exchange with her students and the evolving landscape of artistic endeavors. Even after receiving the Guggenheim grant, she found a need to continue teaching at SVA and Bard College’s summer MFA program, recognizing the symbiotic relationship between her role as an educator and her artistic practice.
"The subject of my work is image production, image making, and photography," Umbrico asserts, highlighting the seamless integration of her teaching and artistic pursuits. The world of photography touches on so many contemporary socio-cultural issues and Umbrico’s teachings span a spectrum of photography genres—from formal and conceptual concerns to technological shifts in the medium. Constantly addressing nuanced issues within the realm of photography, Umbrico's practice becomes not only an artistic expression but an integral facet informing her teaching, and visa-versa.
Umbrico's teaching becomes a testament to the interwoven nature of education and artistic creation—a symbiosis where breaking down ideas and engaging in dialogues foster an environment of perpetual growth and transformation.
Penelope Umbrico's studio is more than a physical space—it's a nexus of chaos and creativity, a place where discarded images find new life. As she continues to explore the intersections of consumer culture, technology, and art, Umbrico invites us to question our relationship with the images that saturate our digital world. In her hands, the detritus of online image production becomes a canvas for contemplation, urging us to reflect on the collective visual language that defines our culture. As Umbrico continues to push the boundaries of art and technology, her studio remains a dynamic space where the interplay of innovation and creativity gives birth to new narratives.