Art Review

Polidori depicts a very ornate white door with a security camera and a bright red box, which I am assuming is some type of fire alarm in his photograph “Security Camera and Boiserie Detail, Grand Cabinet de Madame Victoire, (54)”. It is unclear what that red box actually is, since the writing is not big enough to see. But that red box does matches red wire coming out of the security camera, with a black wire next to it. The camera is a light gray with a darker gray lenses, it points at a 45, give or take a few degrees, angle out from the all white walls. It juts out of the wall, on a white pedestal, next to what appears to be a thin piece of wood right in the corner. The only other color in the picture is that of the golden hinges, and the golden, what I think is a lock. Both of which are perpendicular. Everything else is backed by floral design, which constants with the very strict lines of the doors and walls. But the most action show up right near the camera. Where a cherub is encased in a floral pattern with fruits looking objects. The last object that saw was the oval door handle and keyhole that is not quite as bright as the hinges and lock. The wall and hinges and lock looks worn and of a style that is I find to be old fashion.

The focal points seems to be the camera and red box. The picture seems very still and private in a way. It doses not seem that the door will open anytime soon and that the camera is actually looking at something of extreme interesting, to that point that the camera is personified. I find that he gets that personified effect by the juxtaposition of the parallel lines, either horizontally or vertically and faded out design of background, and the 45 degree angle of a dark camera. But we know it not private since there is name tag like object near the door frame, which leads me to believe that this is public domain. The camera also juxtaposes, as a modern piece of technology, against the old fashion design of the walls. Then the two red objects, the wire and box, gives a boldness to the picture. I feel that it would be boring without that red box and wire. The door handle shows that what ever is happening in this room is happening by choice, since they are there by choice. Also since that door handle is oval, while very small and vaguely dull, gives an interest to that part of the picture.

For me the bright white box under the camera is distracting since it doesn't just fade into the background or stand out like the red box does. It is just seems to be there not really adding anything. In fact, I feel that it detracts from the sstringency of piece.