Category: Art

“Billboard” (2019) presents a gripping tale where desperation meets determination. Cinematographer Matthew Blum captures this narrative with a visual style that reflects the film’s high stakes and dark humor. The tagline sets the stage: “Times are tough, listener-ship is down and Casey needs to come up with a plan to save his radio station, WTYT 960, and fast!” In a bold move, Casey launches a billboard sitting contest, promising “$960,000 and a mobile home” to the last one standing. Through Blum’s lens, the precariousness of the contestants’ elevated plight and the radio station’s future come vividly to life.

In 2015, “Glass Portraits,” an ambrotype photography exhibition by Matthew Blum, offered a stirring collection of portraits that captured the very essence of each subject using the wet plate collodion process. Dating back to the 1850s, this time-honored technique produces images with a haunting depth and a timeless quality unmatched by digital photography. Every portrait was a one-of-a-kind piece, showcasing not just the subject’s likeness but also the distinctive quirks of the medium—its unpredictability and the fascinating ways it responds to light and chemicals.

Presented in the Alternative Gallery at Artsfest 2015, “Glass Portraits” invited viewers to reflect on the permanence of glass, the fluidity of time, and the profound simplicity of the human face. It served as a powerful reminder of the enduring value of traditional photographic methods, which connect us to history in a tangible, visceral way. Through “Glass Portraits,” Blum not only preserved a nearly lost art form but also breathed new life into it, inspiring contemporary audiences to appreciate the beauty of this old-world craft.

“Angels of Death” is a captivating photo series that weaves the inevitability of life’s end with the vibrancy of its passing moments. The collection showcases a theatrical display of final moments, depicted not with somber tones but with a playful acknowledgment of the reaper’s subtle integration into life’s most mundane scenes.

The lens captures the essence of these angels, adorned in life-affirming reds and deep blacks, with each image celebrating the bold embrace of the inevitable. From a mischievous smile in a timeless barbershop, a charming pose by a vintage car, to a morbidly amusing scenario in a cozy kitchen, the angels prompt viewers to find a spark of joy in the face of destiny.

The “Angels of Death” series is an invitation to perceive the final act not as a mournful farewell but as a jubilant release, a celebration of life’s last grand performance. It’s an encouragement to toast to the finale, and enjoy the dance with the end in its most playful and whimsical iteration.