Mariah Robertson

I get a regular update from Art 21 http://www.pbs.org/art21/  and in this months update was a series of films called New York Close Up. Ten films that celebrate the work of up and coming New York artists. There is something of interest in them all but I was particularly drawn to Mariah Robertson's work, I suppose initially because it's photographic in nature, but the images she produces are really interesting photographic or otherwise. The thing that stuck me about the film was how it made the darkroom seem like an alien place; having worked in darkrooms all my life it seemed odd that someone should don suits and breathing equipment in order to process images. Perhaps we are all too used to pristine atmospheres that hold no danger or maybe we like the ceremony of dressing up in order to do something which increasingly is an odd thing to do..work in darkrooms. Anyway take a look at the film and make your own mind up. it's at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBhihQnt3P0