Rodney Smith

Here's a short story, wow it must have been 5 or 6 years ago already, but I'm a high school photo teacher and each year I have my students do a famous photographer research project. Master's of photography type thing. 

Well 5 or 6 years ago a student approached me with a request to research a photographer who wasn't on my list. Rodney Smith. I hadn't heard of him. I did a quick search and was just amazed at how beautiful his work was and the fact that I hadn't come across it before. Made an impression.

A couple years later one of my first assignments in graduate school was to find a professional photographer in my specific field (fine art) and arrange and interview. 

Ok, that was my worst nightmare. I was frantically trying to think of ways I could just fake the assignment and decided that if I was going to interview anyone it was going to damn well be someone I felt was worthy of an interview. 

I thought of the photographers I knew and loved - and that were alive and I thought of Rodney Smith. I found his website and sent him an email. I did not expect a response.

What a generous, kind and just generally great guy, photographer, artist, etc. He contacted me and set up a call. He's on the east coast or I would have figured out a way to interview him in person. I read his entire blog in preparation and had a lovely conversation with the man. 

I am a huge fan.

http://www.rodneysmith.com/

Robert & Shana ParkeHarrision

Robert & Shana ParkeHarrision began collaborating on their constructed photographs shortly after graduate school. Their series Architect’s Brother first caught my attention. These dreamy cinematic narratives stir the imagination.

They have a great website to check outhttp://www.parkeharrison.com/

They have a great website to check out

http://www.parkeharrison.com/

  Their newest series Gautier’s Dream is inspired by French artist, writer and critic, Théophile Gautier, and explores dramas unfolding both in front of an audience and behind the velvet curtain.

 

 

Their newest series Gautier’s Dream is inspired by French artist, writer and critic, Théophile Gautier, and explores dramas unfolding both in front of an audience and behind the velvet curtain.

Roger Ballen

Today I'm sharing the work of Roger Ballen. I first encountered his work a few years ago through his video collaboration with Die Antwoord - I Fink U Freeky. I was definitely struck by his work, like a mac truck. Last spring Ballen spoke at the Palm Srings Film Festival and the Palm Springs Museum exhibited his work. I was most certainly curious about his disturbing imagery.

Ballen is hot right now, I think the notion of his imagery lies in the tradition of Diane Arbus. There is something intriguing about staring at the safe distance of a photograph at these extraordinary characters. It's not art work I'd want hanging on my wall. I couldn't live with it. But as a work of art these images are powerful, you can't leave them without thinking about them and having them etched into your memory.

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Lewis Baltz

Lewis Baltz is a local boy, born in Newport Beach; he was one of the original photographers to participate in the seminal New Topographics exhibit during the 1970’s. The exhibit, or more importantly the work exhibited has had a major impact on landscape photography and planted the seeds of the current Wasteland movement.

 

Baltz is currently based in Paris and Venice. He also is a professor of conceptual photography at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where he conducts an Intensive Summer Seminar. Someone should send my there! I need a patron. Or a shot of patron.

 

I feel like I know quite a bit about the New Topographics movement, so if there are any questions – let me know.

 

Baltz’s exquisite photographs are small by today’s standards. But they are real prints and you can practically see the silver halides glimmering in the blackness. Definitely worth seeing in person if you get the chance.

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Gregory Crewdson

taking photographs vs. making photographs.

Gregory Crewdson is sort of the Jeff Koons of photography. He envisions grand large-scale scenes that could be film stills. The images are reminiscent of movies like Close Encounters. Something other worldly and quite possibly dangerous has just happened or is just about to. He's a director with a big budget, equipment, lighting and a crew that could rival a hollywood production. He doesn't even snap the shutter release, his dp does. 

there's a great film out about him.

http://www.gregorycrewdsonmovie.com/

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Jeff Wall

Oh god – when I get excited about something I have no patience. Just like my Instagram account I can’t post a single pict I have to post 20. & now that I’m considering who I want to feature/share on my blog my list is becoming endless and I want to share all of them NOW!

 

Patience, patience, patience. Leave something for tomorrow!

Okay so here is today’s share

 

Jeff Wall link to more info

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Jeff Wall is smart. He writes really long essays explaining the deep meaning hidden in his images. He references art history and literature. He constructs images that hardly look constructed. He prints on giant transparencies and displays the work in large light boxes. He’s cool.

A Sudden Guest Of Wind (after Hokusai) 1993

A Sudden Guest Of Wind (after Hokusai) 1993

Katsushika Hokusai Yejiri Station, Province of Suruga, ca. 1832

Katsushika Hokusai Yejiri Station, Province of Suruga, ca. 1832

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PHOTOGRAPHY NOW

Writing a random blog post on my personal website reminds me of that tree, falling in the forest. Does it make a sound?

 

https://blog.oup.com/2011/02/quantum/

 

http://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-82446,00.html

 

I’m sort of surprised that so many people not only have an opinion about this, but have taken the time to find a discussion thread and share their thoughts. This is a novel idea to me and helps me understand why I haven’t been able to update this page in over a year. However, what is the point of keeping a blog page on the site, if not to blog.

 

Perhaps no one will stumble upon this page, but I have committed myself to making a better effort. So on and so forth.

 

Here is someone I think I deserves your attention: Julia Fullerton - Batten

http://www.juliafullerton-batten.com/

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