The Luminescence of Memory

“The landscape is what defines me. When I am somewhere new or familiar, I am constantly in dialogue with the past, present, and my future self. When I am thinking about landscape, I am thinking about those who had stood on this land before me. Whoever they are, hopefully, history recorded their markings on the land for us to study and contemplate” – Binh Danh, an excerpt from Reflections in a Mirrored Eye.

ROSEGALLERY is pleased to present The Luminescence of Memory, a presentation of daguerreotypes by Binh Danh. The Luminescence of Memory consists of a selection of daguerrotypes taken by Danh at various US National Parks, such as Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and Yosemite National Parks.

The imagery found in Danh’s silvery daguerrotypes grounds itself in the work of Ansel Adams and Carleton Watkins, with their early images defining the grandiose beauty of the National Parks and their scenic landscapes. Danh builds upon this legacy, furthering the narrative of exploration and documentation by infusing his own personal and familial experiences. He calls to his family’s journey to the United States as refugees of the Vietnam War and their subsequent assimilation into American Society; with this assimilation echoing through the experiences of many of those who have immigrated into the United States. With this, Danh acknowledges the violent history of these spaces and of the Indigenous groups who were driven out in order to establish these lands. 

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