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Abelardo Morell
Camera Obscura Image of the Empire State Building in Bedroom, 1994

Alberto Morell began to experiment with the camera obscura (Latin for “dark room”) in 1986, when he was housebound after the birth of his son. He has continued the body of work in New York and other cities.

Beginning with an ordinary space such as a living room, a bedroom, or a hotel room, Morrell transforms it into a camera obscura by covering the windows with black plastic. Piercing a small hole in the plastic, he allows light to pass through and to cast an image on the opposite wall. This example, taken somewhere near the Empire State Building, shows the iconic architecture of Manhattan projected over a bedroom’s simple interior, complete with lopsided lampshade and framed snapshot.

As in every camera obscura, the projected image formed by the pinhole appears upside down and backward. Morell then photographs the room’s interior with a view camera, often using extremely long exposures lasting many hours.

Artwork Info

Artwork title
Camera Obscura Image of the Empire State Building in Bedroom
Artist name
Abelardo Morell
Date created
1994
Classification
photograph
Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
20 in. × 24 in. (50.8 cm × 60.96 cm)
Date acquired
1994
Credit
Collection SFMOMA
Gift of the artist in memory of Bill Beckler
Copyright
© Abelardo Morell
Permanent URL
https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/94.362
Artwork status
Not on view at this time.

Artist Abelardo Morell reimagines scenery by turning entire rooms into camera obscuras — effectively merging interior and exterior spaces — and then photographing the results. He discusses how he developed this peculiar practice over time, and how he has found fulfillment infusing everyday environments with new enchantment.

Other Works by Abelardo Morell

See other works by Abelardo Morell

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