Artwork Page for Palmetto Gnome

Details / Information for Palmetto Gnome

Palmetto Gnome

c. 1948–1950

Val Telberg

(American, 1910–1995)
Culture
America
Medium
gelatin silver print, solarized photogram and multiple negatives
Measurements
Image: 27.8 x 22.8 cm (10 15/16 x 9 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1989.402
Edition
unique print
Copyright
© Estate of Val Telberg, Courtesy Laurence Miller Gallery
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Influenced by Surrealism, Val Telberg specialized in dreamlike images in which the combination of separate negatives transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary. For Palmette Gnome he used several darkroom manipulations, including sandwiched negatives, photogram, and solarization. Thus, a woman's face is printed on the dark outline of a hand, while palm leaves suggest her hair and shoulders.
A vertically oriented solarized gelatin silver print depicts a youth centered and facing forward. Partial tonal inversion creates a silvery, high-contrast appearance. Pointed palm fronds overlap the head, forming two sharp peaks. Striated leaf patterns overlay the figure's forehead and shoulders, blending into a hazy background. The eyes appear as dark, shadowed recesses, and a heavy shadow covers the lower half of the face.

Palmetto Gnome

c. 1948–1950

Val Telberg

(American, 1910–1995)
America

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