artsculture

Illusions of Vietnam

Every so often we are fortunate enough to meet individuals like Dr. Elliot Kornberg who push the limits of traditional thought and open our eyes to new possibilities and undiscovered beauty. I interviewed him recently about his upcoming show “Illusions of Vietnam” and found him to be one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. Aside from being an artist, Dr. Kornberg is a semi-retired surgeon with an exceptionally unique mind that combines the very precise and structured intellect of a medical doctor with the foresight of an inventor and the spirit of a pioneer.

Nearly a decade ago he began refining his photography, eventually finding a home for his creative urge in what he calls his “temporal flow of light method”. He became more and more enamored with the abstract aspects of photography and making pictures look more like paintings rather than photographs. He began to “see the light” as he put it, seeing the image in his mind and the potential for an abstract shot before taking up his camera. While shooting in Vietnam he searched for scenes that offered the interplay of possible motion, light, color, and appealing shape. He utilized various techniques with the camera to capture the essence of his experience in Vietnam with a play of colors, flavors, and events, which tell the story of Vietnamese people in a beautiful and unique way.

A real mind blower is Kornberg’s relationship between photography and his deep seated love for theoretical physics. That’s right, when he wasn’t in surgery or busy developing his medical patents he was learning quantum theory, special relativity and string theory. He used his firm understanding of the time/space continuum, gravitons, neutrons, virtual photons, and all the basic laws of the universe to develop the Kornberg theory, which modern physicists have been unable to disprove. Kornberg’s special interest in time’s relativistic effect in four-dimensional space-time is apparent in his imagery. Photography allows him to experiment with and manipulate the perceived effect of time in his images by lowering or extending the impact of light on film. The result is an image that captures more than motion; it captures emotion.

The opening of Dr. Kornberg’s show, “Illusions of Vietnam” will be held at 321 Agency this Friday. The event starts at 7:00PM February 19^th and ends at 11:00PM. The installation will also be available by appointment for the following six weeks. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the good doctor in person.