Fascinated by the translation of real-world spaces into the mediascape of TV dramas, Karina Nimmerfall has revisited some of the New York City locations where episodes of “Law and Order” were filmed and photographed them, taking us halfway back to everyday perception. A state-of-the-art hyper-conceptual photographer, Nimmerfall is aware that her black-and-white images, which hang in suspension between deadpan real estate photos and constructivist street shots, are yet another doubling of the perceptual world that leaves us imprisoned in representation—in this case, with a deceptive simulation that voids the spaces of romance so thoroughly that they become empty stages awaiting vitalization by ordinary people or camera crews and actors. Describing her project as “cinematic mapping,” Nimmerfall teaches the lesson that the world is just a bunch of props. (Michael Weinstein)
Karina Nimmerfall shows at Bucket Rider Gallery, 119 North Peoria, (312)421-6993, through January 27, 2006.
