Selected Images from Drapes

Three gelatin silver prints capture the sensuous folds and undulating forms of draped fabric, transforming an everyday material into an abstract study of light and shadow. James Welling's meticulous attention to tonal gradation reveals the medium's rich capacity for depth, as the fabric's curves and creases dissolve into sweeping areas of luminous highlight and velvety darkness. The series exemplifies Welling's ongoing exploration of photography's formal and material possibilities, using the simplest of subjects to interrogate the nature of the photographic image itself.