Gordon Parks: Director, activist, poet, composer, author, musician, and photographer. While Parks is well know in all of these genres, in my opinion his best work is in photography (okay, I haven’t actually seen Shaft, so I could be wrong). Moving between different genres of photography, he really came into his own when he was accepted as a photographer for the FSA. Here he created some of his most famous works and gained great popularity. He is one of the first photographers to study racism, bringing this subject into the commercial art world. His portfolio includes portraits, fashion, Broadway, and photojournalism, specifically focusing in poverty and segregation. No matter what the genre has the ability to capture a moment like very few photographers can.
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I’m so done with all of this Gawker nonsense. Seriously, fuck all that shit. Let’s look at something beautiful instead.
Hiroshi Sugimoto is hands-down one of my favorite artists of all time. His work is stunning and timeless, both conceptually and technically. He works exclusively in large-format photography, using an 8×10 camera to compose all of his works. He is heavily influenced by Dadaism, and surrealism, as well as the passage of time, and the conflict of life and death.
Seascapes – By drawing a line directly in the center of his viewfinder, Sugimoto is able to exactly match the horizon line on every single photo in this project. Sugimoto traveled the world photographing the the sea, creating one of his most beautiful, and most well known collections.
Theatres – Sugimoto travled across the U.S. looking for old movie theaters to complete this project. Using only the light from the projector, Sugimoto opened his shutter as the movie started, and closed it as the movie ended. This extremely long exposure renders the screen completely blank and illuminated, and the audience invisible.
Architecture Nature of Light Sugimoto
Since Friday is PhotoPhriday over at crosstalk, I figure it should also be PhotoPhriday here at Crasstalk. So every Phriday I’ll introduce one of my favorite photographers. This week I’ll start with the lovely Joyce Tenneson.
Tenneson is a fine art photographer who works primarily in large format Polaroids, using the human body as a subject. She states that her upbringing in the convent that her parents worked at, greatly shaped her world view. This upbringing inspired her to study the stages of life, using photography as her medium. She currently shows in numerous galleries, and has quite a few books available for sale, all of which I cannot recommend highly enough. If you’re looking for a new coffee table book, or a present for an art lover this holiday season, definitely think about these. Wise Women Amazing Men Joyce Tenneson: A Life in Photography Intimacy: The Sensual Essence of Flowers Illuminations Light Warriors
Since the days are getting shorter, as the nights grow longer, I thought it would be an appropriate time to focus on some of my favorite night photographers. First up is Troy Paiva, a San Francisco photographer who makes his amazing photos in junkyards and various locations in the abandoned West. Photographing only during full moons Paiva uses a combination of long exposures and a variety of colored flashes to paint his beautiful pictures. In addition to his personal photography, Paiva teaches workshops and has a well-reviewed book out.