Subjects and Objects

The publication is published on the occasion of two solo exhibitions by the artist, the first of which was held at Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver (September 8-October 14, 2012), and the second at Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne (November 7-December 21, 2014). The photographs Annette Kelm has created within a wide range of manifestations over the last fifteen years are among the most fascinating and significant contributions to recent contemporary art. The artist, who came to the public eye at a time when photography was continually reinventing itself both as an artistic object and as a digital image, has been able to position herself as an image-maker of uncompromising clarity. Her practice is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of and passion for time-honored traditions of photographic studio practice, incorporating analog film and darkroom processes, as well as an ongoing interest in image genres such as landscape, portrait, and still life. By means of these time-tested forms of expression, she has created a photographic imagery that is remarkable both for its visual acuity and for its resistance to unequivocal translation into language.