I was introduced to Jeff Wall’s photography by a friend
who took me to a Jeff Wall exhibition. Before that I’ve never been keen on
photography but what I saw there completely changed my mind.
Jeff Wall’s approach to photography drinks a lot from
historical paintings but it is also quite cinematographic. He carefully
constructs the scenario inside the studio with clear references to paintings.
The Destroyed
Room was shot in 1978 shortly after his wife had left him
for another man. At the very first look I would say this scenario is incredibly
violent as if the character was deeply angry and out of control. Jeff stated he
used his wife’s clothes: “I borrowed her clothes because we were still on good
terms and she had the good clothes”. It is not that hard to picture an angry
man focusing all of his anger on his absent wife’s possessions, even the
mattress were they used to sleep side by side was not left behind.
But look again, there are at least two elements that
suggest a deep passion and caring and those are obviously the red walls and the
ballerina that was left untouchable or carefully placed on top that piece of
furniture.
The painting referenced in this Jeff’s photograph is
Delacroix’s The Death of Sardanapalus in
which a megalomaniac king feeling his death coming closer decides to destroy
all of his possessions resulting in an intense and violent scenario.
Trivia: this photography was also used as a cover for
Sonic Youth’s compilation album The
Destroyed Room: B-sides and Rarities released in 2006.
The Destroyed Room by Jeff Wall
The Death of Sardanapalus by Delacroix
