*Untitled #9*, from the series *Albeit* © Laura Letinsky. Courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York.

Written by Anvita Brahmbhatt

Copy Edited by Robyn

Photo Edited by Zona

The Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York is currently exhibiting Laura Letinsky’s collection of photographic assemblages created in 2013 titled Albeit. Letinsky uses magazine prints and a flatbed scanner to creatively capture still life. The artist substitutes printed material instead of still life captured in a studio in her collection and in later publications such as in Ill Form & Void Full (2014), and To Want or Nothing (2019) further explores these unconventional methods of photography.

*Untitled #4*, from the series *Albeit* © Laura Letinsky. Courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York.

Instead of relying on a camera and a studio space to explore still life, Letinsky works with a flatbed scanner to explore structure through these assemblages. The scanner turns the subjects of the photographs into a two-dimensional structure, making the objects closer to the scanner the focus of these photos. Letinksy’s works revolve around the themes of longing, desire and melancholy. In these collages, the photos from the magazine feature oozing cake, vibrant fruit, and cutlery on empty plates. There is no singular structure or form. Letinsky spoke about choosing themes around desire: “It’s this idea that the narrative has already occurred, the meal has been eaten, the cornucopia has been consumed, something has been consummated, and this is what’s left in the early morning light.”

*Untitled #1*, from the series *Albeit* © Laura Letinsky. Courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York.

Untitled 1 features a glass, flowers, a dried lemon, and a plate on a surface. The flowers interplay with the glass as the scanned assemblage does not follow a fixed format; the flowers emerge from the side of the image while the other objects are placed on top of the surface. Untitled 3 explores color as Letinsky features subdued shades of pink, white, gold and purple that have a calming effect on viewers. In Untitled 4, there is a plate with a melon and two spoons and a marigold flower that seems to almost project outwards toward the viewer. Untitled 7 explores desire through a gooey cake, a sliced tomato, interspersed lace detailing, and gold droplets as they drip on the surface. All of these artworks engage viewers and instill a sense of taste and longing. The photos of the food, with the warped framework and background, creates a visual sense of craving. Untitled 9 features an arrangement with curtains, a table with a cup, a plate, and dinner rolls. . Letinsky chooses to place the photos in a way where the plate appears broken and the curtain torn. All the objects are imperfect, and thus they collectively remind the viewer of a moment of disquiet in a dining scene.

*Untitled #3*, from the series *Albeit* © Laura Letinsky. Courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York.

*Untitled #7*, from the series *Albeit* © Laura Letinsky. Courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York.

Laura Letinsky (1962; Winnipeg, Canada). She received her BFA from the University of Manitoba in 1986 and an MFA from Yale University’s School of Art in 1991. Since 1994, she has been a Professor in the Department of Visual Art at the University of Chicago. Her work has been exhibited at the Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Museum of Modern Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art etc. She has received multiple awards for her photography, including the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship Award (2000). Laura Letinsky’s latest collection, Albeit, is at display at the Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York till December 23, 2022.