Similar to the series “Maximale Realität” (2009-2010), this mixed-media series by Peter Baracchi also holds a picturesque moment. The observing eye that is always ready for interpretation, tries to actually identify the subject. Instead, indefinable cloudy, soft forms and gentle gradients urge. They give each of the three works its own unique flavor. A clue to what could be seen here, only the title of the series provides: “Unprintable Color Space (two minutes of porn).”

In this series, which includes a total of six images, Baracchi Peter has worked with found ma- terial again. This time with moving images, specifically with porn films as they are circulating on the internet and are usually consumed en masse but secretly. For each of the six pho- tos Peter Baracchi has selected from each video a sequence of two minutes. This was then condensed with the aid of different computer programs to one single image. Two different movements - that of the actors in front of the camera and that of the camera itself - are being recorded in a digital long-time exposure, whereby the strong blurring of the subject arises.

At first, the revealing explanation causes a fright, yes, perhaps even embarrassing: It’s con- sidered something that “you” actually not look at - something that is generally considered offensive or even disgusting. Maybe you feel a bit duped by the artist. Thanks to a trick, he’s managed to deliver such taboo images to his unsuspecting audience.

But shortly after, the human vyeuristic pleasure is taking over and it’s irresistable to take a closer look. Now that the track is given, one tries to decipher what could have effectively hap- pened in front of the camera in those two minutes, and as with any censorship of images, the obscure, unidentifiable content is inspiring one’s imagination even more. It is in this psycho- logical moment, where the true value of this series lies: the pictures are clearly showing the subconscious boundary between attraction and disgust in the mind of our society. This hap- pens whitout citing explicit subjects. Rather than that, the hard and clearly defined aesthetic of porn is transferred to an unusually soft and delicate imagery, which can be unconditionally perceived as pleasant and beautiful. The associations run free and only with a literal refer- ence in the title, the gap to “amoral” opens.

Text: Deborah Keller