Topic Entry #10

3-26-09

Tableau



"The simple tableau is so rich with meaning that whether represented on the mantelpiece or in the mind, it seems suspended, complete unto itself, somewhere in eternity." - Lucinda Franks

Cotton, Charlotte; "the Photograph as Contemporary Art", Chapter 2 "Once Upon a Time"

This is actually a chapter of a book that my former teacher had us read to illistrate each movement of art photography that we had photo assignments on. I specifically remember this chapter on Tableau photography. She delves completely into tableau photography through the big name photographers over the last century. She talks about the storytelling many contemporary art photographers use, some referencing fables, fairy tales, etc; and others simply creating a photograph that has a story for the viewer to come up with from the imagery given. She also shows how though most of the photographs come from a fuller body of work, they are able to stand alone as well.

I want to start shooting in a way that I can tell a story, like the tableau style. I have so many stories that I've seen, heard and experienced, and it's been hard trying to capture all of those things in a single photograph the way many photographers are capable of. I hope to be able to translate the stories more effectively in my work, and hopefully the body of a work as a whole will translate.

Artist Entry #10

3-23-09

Olivia Arthur








Olivia was born in London in 1980 and grew up in the UK. She studied mathematics and photojournalism in college. She was invited to live in Italy for a year, where she shot the series " the middle distance" (which the images I've posted are from), which covers the wide range of women who reside in the middle of Europe and Asia. She's received many awards at such a young age, and continues to travel and shoot around the world. Her work is very inspiring to me, and has the quality that I'm striving for with my work. She is fantastic and really catching the mood of the space, and pays very close attention to all of the little details that make a photograph special. She continues to work on a long term project on women caught in the East vs. West divide.

Artist Website
www.oliviaarthur.com

Artist Gallery
http://events.magnumphotos.com/taxonomy/term/158/0

Artist Review
http://vervephoto.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/olivia-arthur/

Topic Entry #9

3-19-09

Documentary

"I believe that documentary photography is a form of art... Somebody wrote that one of the most general explanations of art is that art is an expression of the human soul. That is exactly what documentary photography is. Otherwise it is not documentary." - Rob Hornstra




James Curtis, "Making Sense of Documentary Photography," History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web, http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/Photos/, June 2003.

This course really goes in depth into documentary photography. From the history, to how to analyze the photographs, to modern documentary photography. He talks about how photographs are used for history, and how people assume that they are reality. He fights for the viewpoint that photographs should not be simply illistrations, and accompany historical texts; but should rather be investigated as history themselves.

Documentary photography is the route I am taking with my images. I don't want distort the reality of my subjects at all. I'm very interested in catching moments without posing, and trying to capture what is the reality of these people.

Artist Entry #9

3-16-09

Rob Hornstra







Rob Hornstra doesn't consider himself a photographer, but rather a documentary maker. His main interest has been in documenting the post-soviet countries after the fall of communism. In his work for "101 Billionaires" he tried to disprove the idea that Russia was flourishing and rich since the fall of communism, and showed a stark, honest portrait of the country with his stills and portraits. I was particularly drawn to a quote I read in an interview of his.. he said

"People are reading less newspapers and magazines and, because of that, less articles about difficult or far away subjects. Many people are only watching crap on television, or they read gossip magazines. I believe that if you know more about different people, different regions, different countries, different cultures that your consciousness will be higher and your prejudices towards others will be lower, which will lead to a better world."

He said this after being asked about his documentary work and the risk of sacrificing it's depth; and I agree with him wholeheartedly. He is currently living and working in the Netherlands.


Artist Interview
http://www.jmcolberg.com/weblog/2008/11/a_conversation_with_rob_hornst.html

Artist Website
http://www.borotov.nl/

Artist Gallery
http://www.natmus.is/english

Topic Entry #8

3-12-09

Subculture

"No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive. “ Mahatma Ghandi



Subculture, http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Subculture

This article explains all about subcultures.Subcultures are groups of people with some underlying similarity, whether it be race, religion, or interests. It says that the study of subcultures is a lot of times crossed with the study of symbols attached to the members of them.
On the outside, a regular person see's this group of people as foreign, different, and often view them with thinking of certain stereotypes. My approach to showing my post-soviet subculture, is not to stereotype, but to open this community to the outside world to view, relate, and experience.

Artist Entry #8

3-8-09

Henri Cartier-Bresson






Henri was born in France in 1908. He is known around the world for his exploration of the "decisive moment". His images captures subjects right about to carry out, or readily in a certain action. Many of his images seem to carry the same tension within the photograph, and are details of human life. He was a snap shooter, and always used available light. He stopped taking photographs in the 70s, and devoted the rest of the time to painting and drawing.

Artist Website
http://www.afterimagegallery.com/bresson.htm

Artist Gallery
http://www.moma.org/

Artist Interview
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/3615

Topic Entry #7

3-5-09

Decisive Moment



"the decisive moment, it is the
simultaneous recognition, in a fraction
of a second, of the significance of an
event as well as the precise organization
of forms which gives that event
its proper expression." - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Unknown Author, "Henri Cartier-Bresson", http://www.photo-seminars.com/Fame/bresson.htm

This article is written about one of the founders of the photography concept of the "decisive moment". It talks about Henri's approach to photography, the snap shots of street life, and trying to catch moments in life and preserve them. They show the beginning of an action, right in the middle of it, and when the subject usually has no idea what they are doing is of any importance at all.
I am working to be there to capture these decisive moments within my project. I'm trying to have my camera ready and with me at any and all outings to try to catch them. I want some of the images to carry that mood, where something is in the process of being done, an action is being carried out, or right about to be carried out.

Lecture #3

3-4-09

Amy Stein





I was extremely impressed with Amy Stein. I had seen her work, oddly enough, years ago when I was in high school as an aspiring photographer. I saw her image of the child with american flag socks on the beach as a contest winner, and remember loving the image, and wanting to submit my work into contests, and wanting to see my work published. Her two series, Stranded and Domesticated were both absolutely captivating.
I was more drawn personally to her Domesticated series. The serene scenes of wild animals in these strange, normal neighborhood enviroments. I love her use of stuffed animals. The poses they are in seem so real, but the lighting is so perfect you can tell they were set in the same pose for a long time. I completely admire her drive to get the images she wants, and to really get out there and do whatever she could to get the shot. Like for the Stranded series, driving around for hours hoping to find someone broken down on the side of the road. Overall her images all have the same great quality, and eerie lighting, and all carry the same serene mood.

Artist Entry #7

3-2-09

Nan Goldin






Nan Goldin is probably the queen of the snapshot aesthetic. She is world renowned for her images of New York subcultures. She completely immersed herself in these cultures, sucked into the life of drugs and drinking, and just snapped photos of her friends. The images are extremely raw and honest, and show a live of drugs and sexuality that really wasn't shown in the public before her. She currently works and lives in Paris and New York.

Artist Website
http://www.artnet.com/artist/7135/nan-goldin.html

Artist Gallery
http://www.mocp.org/collections/permanent/goldin_nan.php

Artist Review
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE2D71531F93AA35751C0A9679C8B63