Nea Anghel "Stelaru" şi atelierul lui din Bariera
Vergului, 1929
Old Anghel "Stelaru" (The Star Maker) in his
workshop from Bariera Vergului, 1929
One
of the few images taken inside a private house: the
star maker’s workshop. Also one of the few images
where the character is being individualized. This
happens because Old Anghel is a kind of an expert in
his guild, he is super qualified. In photography at
Mosi in 1925, Gheorghe Nicolae <<a specialist in
ginger bread>> is also caught in photography at his
stall. The recognition of the individual by the
community emerges him from obscurity.
Old Anghel seems invaded by the work object: as the
funnel salesman, he exists only through his defining
element.
The visibility of the image is ensured by an
artificial light source (a lamp) placed in the left
side. The light is distributed in a vectorial way
between a point of maximum intensity (the flame of
the lamp is a concentration of energy that is
transformed in a visibility excess: a bright point;
a shining amplified by the mirror) and brightened
beaches. The most visible element is the star as a
close- up where we can see the Nativity scene. But
the light would be nothing without the obscurity
that opposes it and makes it visible. The image is
actually built of shadows and lights.
Old Anghel is not working, he is presenting the work
object. A star caught in an intermediate stage; it
is neither the finite object (situated in the
background) nor the incipient element of creation
(which can be seen on the table as a close-up).
