At first, the images in The Russian Ending seem shocking and violent: volcanic eruptions and dark clouds of pollution mingle with photographs of funerals and bomb-damaged homes.
Upon further exploration, however, the images prove to be more than just simple statements of tragedy; they take on a complex, ironic tone that engages and challenges the viewer.
The Russian Ending, currently on display in Burling basement's Print & Drawing Study Room, is Tacita Dean's exhibit. According to the information included in the show, Dean's project is composed of "digitally manipulated photogravures of black-and-white photographic postcards from the years around World War I." The images are grainy, often perplexing and uniformly haunting.
Dean, who studied at Falmouth School of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art in London, is known primarily for her work in film. Consequently, it is no surprise that this exhibit explores the links between film and image.
The title of the exhibit comes from the practice in the early film industry in Denmark where, before exporting films to the U.S. and Russia, different endings were added to films for each market-Ñhappy endings for the U.S., tragic for Russia. Dean's exhibit, then, imagines creating the tragic Russian endings that were added to these films.
In The Russian Ending, Dean adds "stage directions" and comments to each tragic image, some serious and some comical. Her notations, written in white over the photographs themselves, contribute a sense of distance and humor to the images.
For example, in Die Explosion in Dem Kanal, Dean subtitles the image "The (Explosive) Russian Ending" and writes "Bang!" over the photograph's flying dust and rubble. The scene shows an explosion that has sent debris flying straight up into the air, capturing the precise moment of the explosion. Dean's clever comments, however, mitigate the gravity of the situation, providing a counterweight to the finality, energy and shock of the image. When these moments of tragedy are imagined as the ending to a film, rather than a real event, they have less impact.
Another memorable piece was The Death of a Priest, subtitled "The (Very Sad) Russian Ending." The image depicts the funeral of a dead priest, arrayed in his coffin in church. Dean's comments on this piece include a label, "Dead (no breathing)," near the body of the priest and a note at the edge of the painting, accompanied by an arrow that points out of the frame, reading "Exit (Heaven?)." Once more, Dean's work is simultaneously grave, comical and thought-provoking.
In each piece, Dean's unique voice shines through and directs the viewer to a more thoughtful and reasoned examination of her work. She successfully explores themes of reality, tragedy and humor.
The Russian Ending is on view in the Print and Drawing Study Room in the basement of Burling Library through April 30. It is open Sunday-Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
