1) Richard Mosse is both a documentary journalist and a conceptual photographer. He is well know for his use of Kodak Aerochome, an infrared film that use to be use by the government. In his solo exhibitions he prints are all large in scale.
2) Mosse has been drawn to war torn regions like the Congo. He poses as a journalist and brings light to the devastation found in forgotten areas. By using the Infrared film the greens become a vibrant pink and red, creating lucid images. Mosse states " The medium sees, registers, the invisible type of light, infrared, which we don't see with the human eye. So that was really what I was starting to conceptualize." Mosses realized that he can make the invisible visible. He was drawn to the Congo conflict which is a humanitarian disaster that has been overlooked for many years. By bringing a new perspective it draws audiences to notice, to see in a different light, the devastation surrounding The Congo conflict.
3) The vibrant pinks and reds first lured me to Mosses's photo's. The unique colors paint a new beautiful world but there is also a sense of vastness and devastation in his photos. The top photo reveals the endless beauty of Congo. The lush mountain ranges seem to go on forever, and the light is bright in the valley creating a beautiful focal point.
The second photo is quit haunting. Mosse captures a decomposing human skull. This skull is surrounded by plants, that due to the infrared film appear to be red. I think the red heightens this photo and creates a deeper meaning. To me the red represent blood shed. It brings focus to the idea of war and the realization that brutal deaths occur and are occurring in Congo. This photos also containing two white flowers which add a subtle sense of remembrance.
The last photo is of a structure surrounded by plants. Again the pinks create a beautiful landscape but it is muted by the fog and the placement in the background. The structure seems vast and empty. mainly because it is not a full structure. The walls are not solid. The building is in the middle ground and the foreground is mud and dirt with sprinkles of leaves. The foreground and middle ground create this empty feeling as if pushing the beauty to the background. This photo highlights the lack of and minimalism found in the Congo.
I believe that Mosse used the infrared film wisely. This film is no longer being made and I feel that he accomplished his goal in bringing attention to the devastation of an area and war that has been forgotten.
I was not able to explore Richard Mosses home page so the hyperlink attached to his name takes you to a webpage where some of his works are for sale. This is a great website to check out his photos. If you go to Jack Shainman Gallery and under artists look for Richard Mosse, you can find more info and videos on Richard Mosse. I encourage to check out his exhibits titled Infra and Encave.
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