Untitled

Date

1969

Creator

In this broad panoramic landscape, the laws of physics seem no longer to apply. A tree, in full leaf with its roots unfurled, hovers over the earth, floating above an island in a mountain lake. However, closer examination suggests that island may be airborne as well, for there seems to be a reflection of its underside in the glassy water. Another smaller tree on the right seems to hover in the distance, creating the sensation that the trees may be arriving in sequence. Although this spectacle is peculiar, is seems peaceful and natural, as if it were a view of another world similar to our own. The image conveys a feeling of liberation. Close examination shows that each side of the background and the floating island is a mirror image. Uelsmann constructed this composition with several enlargers. His darkroom has seven, each with its own sinks, processing trays and chemicals. Here the artist creates his prints from three to five negatives meticulously aligned in the exposure process to make a single, composite print. By flashing and burning, or selectively blocking light from the print during exposure in each enlarger, he further adjusts tone within the image, in an active creative process. from Acton, A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame: Twentieth Century (Notre Dame, 2019)