“For The Record”
Ariaz / Bryant / Thompson
Baton Rouge Gallery
Baton Rouge
Through May 24
They say that newspapers are the first draft of history, a key part of empowering the public and vital to a functioning democracy. Actually working in a local newsroom is one of the easiest ways to dispel any romantic notions one has about journalism. Deadlines are tight, it feels as if everyone is mad at you, you aren’t paid enough to deal with the BS landing in your inbox every hour, and the product you are making is printed on cheap paper to be thrown out the next day or online behind a paywall everyone complains about.
Baton Rouge Gallery this month features not one but two artists with installations about print newspapers: Jeremiah Ariaz with “The Fourth Estate in the Heart of America” and Kristine Thompson with “For the Record.” Ariaz’s work highlights the old offices and spreads or print publications themselves., Thompson transforms newspapers into works of art through careful cutouts and placing newspapers directly on photo paper in dark rooms.
In an artist statement, Thompson writes that the art was made in response to contemporary political and social concerns.
“Working in a tactile manner allows me to linger with these events and these historical records,” she wrote. “In an attempt to come to a deeper understanding of them.”
Those who walk through the gallery will notice almost all the words from the papers are removed. Her photograms, newspaper laid on photo paper in a dark room, combine the photos on the front and back of the paper. So it’s not always clear what specific event the photos are referring to.The most striking pieces are the photos of newspapers and what they do include.
“But Population Battles Grief, Anger and Tears,” "Cheering and Grieving,” “Shock Mixes With a Gnawing Uncertainty”: These headlines are mixed with cut photos of explosions and the like against a white background in “Gnawing Uncertainty.” Hands clasping a small snippet of a paper that says, “Even a grieving heart knows how to float.”
There is so much grief and tragedy in our lives right now. There is so much bad news, and sometimes it feels exhausting to keep up with and feel. But Thompson’s work highlights the work of journalists. The moments photojournalists sat for hours to capture, the turns of phrases that people might have agonized over, the feelings of grief expressed. It surprised me to see the things Thompson chose to keep were things that journalists wrote, not quotes from other people. It’s like saying that these things matter. These things are art too.
