Provenance
Gitte Weise Gallery, Sydney
Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2008
This now-iconic image is the first photograph in Rosemary Laing's seminal series 'bulletproofglass'. When this series debuted in New York in 2002, it was heralded a 'must-see' exhibition by the New York Times. The suite was also included in the artist's 2005 survey exhibition 'The Unquiet Landscapes of Rosemary Laing' at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
'bulletproofglass #1' picks up where Laing's 1999 series flight research left off; the airborne bride cast against a brilliant blue sky. However, whereas in the earlier series the bride appears peaceful and pristine in her Elizabethan gown, in 'bulletproofglass' she is shot through her centre, bloodied and frozen in a moment of horror.
This startling and yet stunning image perfectly encapsulates what Laing does best: firing the viewer's imagination with unexpected juxtaposition. The unlikely image conjures endless possible narratives, like a photographic still from a lost film. Conceptually, the violent imagery of the 'bulletproofglass' series was informed by what the artist considered to be a darkening of the social climate of the time. This was a result of events like the failure of Australia's republican referendum, the Sydney bushfires of 2001 and the September 11 attacks.
Although Laing's skillfully executed surreal photographs may look digitally manipulated, they are not. The artist creates her images by choreographing and directing performers in elaborately staged real-time events, a process more akin to film-making than traditional still photography. 'bulletproofglass #1' was realised with the collaboration of an extensive crew of professionals including a stunt woman to perform the role of the airborne bride. Staged in the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales, this large-scale panoramic print presents a fresh take on the traditions of both landscape and portrait photography.
Courtesy of the artist