Photo courtesy of BOOKSHOP LIBRARY WHEN THE OBJECT IN THE IMAGE SHOT BY ATIT SORNSONGKRAM WAS ISOLATED FROM THEIR SPATIAL CONTEXT, THE QUESTION IS, WERE THESE ‘OBJECTS’ REVEALING THEIR TRUE FORMS OR JUST CREATIONS FROM ATIT’S BIAS?
TEXT: SURAWIT BOONJOO
PHOTO: ATELIER247 EXCEPT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
Atit Sornsongkram is a photographer who may not be widely recognized. His photography is distinguished by combining traditional image-capturing methods and digital enhancements, incorporating both additive and subtractive processes. This approach often prompts questions and reflections about how photographs communicate and how they are perceived by viewers, influenced by factors such as lighting, repetition, and reconfiguration. In his ‘OBJECTS’ series, Atit has been continuously documenting objects since 2012. Although discovered serendipitously and collected through an ongoing photographic process until 2021, the images, captured across various locations, show no trace of context—only the shared characteristics resembling sculptures.
The book titled ‘OBJECTS’ is a compact photographic anthology that compiles works from the Objects series, interspersed with informational inserts. Some of these works were exhibited at the HOP PHOTO GALLERY from October 1st to November 28th in 2021, including pieces that had not been previously displayed, which are presented as ‘objects’ that have undergone refinement, rendering intriguing sculpture-like forms. Published in late 2023, this book is the eleventh volume in the ‘Museum of Unfortunate Events’ series by Waiting You Curator Lab, aiming to showcase a collection of items and structures that have been left behind, along with myriad memories accumulated from various events over time.
The images reflect Atit’s detachment from personal interpretation and bias in the documentation process, influenced by the objective photography method to present each object’s existence from an alternative perspective. This involves digital alterations to isolate the objects from their spatial contexts, thereby revealing details and structures by eliminating the perception of time and the direction of light.
Simultaneously, he manipulates the images to create a new status for the objects, transforming them and erasing any indicators of their origin and historical context. The natural appearance of these alterations makes it challenging to discern the modifications, showcasing a clever narrative of objecthood. The photographs, or ‘object-images,’ are polished to the extent that they become objects depicting certain images or scenarios, making it intriguing to interpret what state each adjusted and transformed piece currently occupies—whether as a photographic collection, an artist’s creation, or “objects from an unidentified civilization.”
