Studies for Metamorphosis • Binh Danh

Study for Metamorphosis #2, 2006, 11.5 x 9.5 x 2 inches
Chlorophyll print, butterfly specimen and resin

Ancestral Altar #20, 2006, 32 x 27.5 inches
Chlorophyll print, butterfly specimen and resin

Study for Transmission #3, 2006, 17 x 14.5 x 1.375 inches Chlorophyll print and resin

Binh Danh was born in Vietnam in 1977 before his family immigrated to the United States that same year.
Danh has invented a technique for printing found photographs (digitally rendered into negatives) onto the surface of leaves by exploiting the natural process of photosynthesis. The leaves, still living, are pressed between glass plates with the negative and exposed to sunlight from a week to several months. Coined "chlorophyll prints" by the artist, the fragile works are encapsulated and made permanent through casting them in solid blocks of resin. By conjoining his process into his conceptual ideas so completely, Danh is also able to reference the history and technical developments of photography.
He says of his work, "Throughout my education, I have always been very attracted to Art, History, and Science. The histories I search for are the hidden stories embedded in the landscape around me. The processes used in my work represent my interest in the sciences and photographic techniques."


Binh Danh at Haines gallery

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