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Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal film, the psychological thriller Vertigo, was released on 9th May 1958. 65 years later, Vertigo is widely regarded as Hitchcock’s greatest achievement, its reputation and significance only building as the time passes.
To celebrate the 65th Anniversary of one of the top films of all time as voted by American Film Institute, The British Film Institute, and Sight & Sound, we are delighted to present The Vertigo Project (2018) by Jean Curran - a series of 20 handmade dye transfer photographic prints.
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Jean CurranJimmy Hanging, The Vertigo Project, 2019Original dye transfer printPaper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cmSigned, dated and editioned with an artist wetstamp and print stamp on the verso.Edition of 10 + 2 APsIrish artist Jean Curran is not alone in considering Hitchcock to be ‘one of the greatest artists to live’, and after realising that his work was rarely seen in museums or galleries, she felt compelled to translate the filmmaker’s vision into print, culminating in the remarkable and luminous The Vertigo Project, an innovative and original exploration of Hitchcock’s cinematic mastery that places the film in a new context.
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Vertigo follows police detective Scottie, played by Jimmy Stewart, who falls obsessively in love with Madelaine, a woman he has been paid to follow who is played by Kim Novak. Scottie’s traumatic vertigo prevents him from saving Madelaine from jumping to her death and he spirals deep into despair. When Scottie later spots a woman who looks like Madelaine, his passion is reignited, and a complex web of deceit and crime begins to unravel.
In Vertigo, Hitchcock delicately deals with themes such as voyeurism, eroticism, and loneliness through rigorously composed shots, whilst his intelligent use of colour emphasises the sinister nature of the film and moves the plot in masterfully layered compositions.
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Jean CurranKim (Against the Railings), The Vertigo Project, 2019Original dye transfer printPaper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cmSigned, dated, and editioned with an artist wetstamp and print stamp versoEdition of 10 + 2 APs -
Jean Curran
Hitchcock Cameo, The Vertigo Project, 2019 Original dye transfer print
Paper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cm
Edition of 10 + 2 APs -
Jean CurranFalling from belltower, The Vertigo Project, 2019Original dye transfer printPaper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cmSigned, dated and editioned with an artist wetstamp and print stamp on the verso.Edition of 10 + 2 APs -
With the full co-operation of the Hitchcock estate, Curran obtained access to a rare original Technicolor dye imbibition print of the film. From hundreds of thousands of frames, Curran selected 20 stills from key scenes to re-present and re-contextualize using the painstaking dye transfer process, one of the first full-colour photographic print production methods.Curran reconstructed the sequentially registered layers of colour to echo the original dye transfer process by which films in the Technicolor era, such as Vertigo, were made. Curran is one of the last practitioners of the technique, making not just the process, but also acquiring the necessary materials difficult.
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Jean CurranJudy Bedroom, The Vertigo Project, 2019Original dye transfer printPaper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cmSigned, dated, and editioned with an artist wetstamp and print stamp versoEdition of 10 + 2 APs -
Jean CurranKim in the green light, The Vertigo Project, 2019Original dye transfer printPaper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cmSigned, dated, and editioned with an artist wetstamp and print stamp versoEdition of 10 + 2 APs -
Jean Curran
Golden Gate Bridge, The Vertigo Project, 2019 Original dye transfer print
Paper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cm
Edition of 10 + 2 APs -
"The matrices are a positive relief of the image and contain all of the necessary information for each colour channel, from the depth of its shadows to the brightness of its highlights. When all three matrices are ready, they are placed into corresponding baths of cyan, magenta, and yellow dyes. The exposed gelatin on the matrix absorbs the dye and when ready, you roll the dyed matrix one by one, onto a receiver sheet of paper. The Kodak dye transfer paper has a special mordant which makes the dyes sing and it's now in finite supply so these prints are made on some of the last remaining dye transfer paper."
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Jean CurranJimmy & Kim in the Stables, The Vertigo Project, 2019Original dye transfer printPaper size: 50.8 x 60.9 cm
Image size: 35.6 x 52 cmSigned, dated and editioned with an artist wetstamp and print stamp on the verso.Edition of 10 + 2 APs -
It took a year for Curran to complete The Vertigo Project, and her preference for a time-consuming and complicated process reflects Hitchcock’s own approach and demonstrates her dedication to both her art and the film.
"You have got to feel an awful lot for the work because you’re going to be spending such a long time with it. As I was uncovering more and more about Alfred Hitchcock, I was also becoming more aware of what a cinematic and artistic genius he was".
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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO ARRANGE A VIEWING OR IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT THE GALLERY AT
GALLERY@MICHAELHOPPENGALLERY.COM
+44 (0) 207 352 3649
Jean Curran | The Vertigo Project: Online Viewing Room
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