Binh Danh

Danh's early work focuses predominately on the Vietnam War era and he has been quoted as saying that a lot of his work is involved with the theme of death.[1] Danh has also said that the photographs he uses "bring up and start to fabricate memories" of his life in Vietnam.[1] His images were described as being able to "summon up revulsion over present violent conflicts in the world without direct topical reference" [6] and a critic said that his images of war scenes "evoked wars past and present with an unforced economy almost unparalleled in political art."[7]

He began a series of daguerreotypes of American National Parks[8] in 2012. Cheryl Haines Gallery states that these images are "an attempt to negotiate his connection as a Vietnamese American with the landscape and history of the United States." and "He explains, “I am interested in how we as a nation of immigrants could ‘reflect’ on these daguerreotypes and see our faces in this landscape.” The highly reflective surfaces of Danh's daguerreotypes literally mirror their surroundings, embracing viewers within the idyllic environs of this national landmark."[9]

Danh uses a specific organic technique of his own invention to create his art, the style of which is referred as chlorophyll print. This process begins with choosing a suitable leaf; Danh prefers to use leaves from his mother's garden.[5] Positives of photographs are placed onto leaves, and then covered with glass to be exposed to sunlight for a period of days. If Danh is satisfied with the finished piece, it will be encapsulated permanently by being cast in a solid block of resin.[10] Danh has articulated that throughout his education he has been "very attracted to art, history, and science" and that the processes used in his work represent his "interest in the sciences and photographic techniques."[10] Danh has also stated that the history he searches for "are the hidden stories embedded in the landscape around"[10] him that chlorophyll prints "capture his belief in the interconnectedness of the natural world."[5]

"Life: Dead", a series of framed, withered leaves imprinted with images of dead soldiers, was created using photographs of American soldiers who died between May 28 and June 3, 1969, the images of which were taken from an issue of Life magazine titled "One Week's Dead", and then were digitally rendered into a negative print.[11]

To create "Searching for the Cosmos", Danh used images downloaded from the Internet of the night sky, the negative of which were overlaid on individual leaves. The shadows of the negatives meant that the leaves were deprived of light. On one particular veined, almond-shaped leaf, named "Night Sky", this interruption in photosynthesis resulted in an image that was described as being "like the starry heavens."[12]

To accompany an ofrenda, or offering, he produced for the Oakland Museum show in 2003, which combined photographs of the dead, candles, incense and a statue of the Buddha. Danh commented on his own culture's observance of death, "I come from a Vietnamese Buddhist background, so in my house there are many altars dedicated to many deceased relatives."[13]