Artist 4: the ethereal landscape photography of Todd Hido

Artist 4: the ethereal landscape photography of Todd Hido

       After looking at a few photo-188 blogs, it  would seem to me that Todd Hido's work is pretty popular amongst the class, and its no wonder why; the tasteful and emotive use of color and the painterly nature of Hido's photographs work to create cinematic and ethereal images, with a dream-like quality to them. The following images are all from his Landscapes series, although the dates are unknown to me. I'm going to try and find a book or two of his at the library, and will attempt to update this blog with pertinent information.

       After his obviously careful and considerate compositional skills and choice of subject matter (suggesting the artist's keen and observant nature), I really appreciate Hido's use of the rainy/wet windshield in many of his Landscape photographs; they add to the impressionistic quality that his photography often has.

       Tom E. Hinson, Cleveland Museum of Art curator of photography has stated that Hido's Landscape and Urban photography "reveal(s) isolation and anonymity in contemporary suburbia. Eerily lit rooms and suddenly abandoned homes increase the effect of loneliness and loss."

Tech 3: more fun with artificial lighting and long exposures

Tech 3: more fun with artificial lighting and long exposures

Tech 2: gruesome self portrait with photoshop layers

Tech 2: gruesome self portrait with photoshop layers

       man,  had a heck of a lot of fun on this project. well, i eventually did, at any rate. initially, i felt kinda stymied by this otherwise seemingly simple assignment. while i'm comfortable taking simple self-portraits with my cell phone (a legitimate camera in itself), it was an entirely different experience, training my DSLR on myself - especially using manual focus lenses. i had to set up a dummy to get my camera focused, was short on decent lighting, and found myself challenged by a number of other difficulties experienced while shooting alone. i thought about going somewhere else to shoot my portrait, but decided on staying at home- the load in my backpack was too great for me to want to bike it anywhere. while sitting alone in my room, watching walking dead, i realized that it might be fun to try my hand at making myself look like a zombie. although i had seen that AMC has an online application that allows one to "zombifie" themselves, i figured that this would be a good chance to apply my understanding of layer masks, the liquify tool, and other photoshop tricks i'd acquired previously. after several hours, a number of stock-image resources, and a six-pack of locally-brewed oat sodas, i think i did a decent job. but i'll you be the judge of that.

later this semester, i'll be giving a presentation on how to use photoshop and lightroom to produce a similar image. i can provide plenty of resource images for those interested in trying their hand at it as well.

Artist 3: the Self-Portraiture of John Coplans

Artist 3- The Self-Portraiture of John Coplans

       Visually stunning, these self-portraits of the artist are playful, honest, and compelling images of the human figure rendered in extreme detail. These photographs are a select few from a huge body (no pun intended) of work concerning the artist's own aging form. The way the artist captures every wrinkle and hair on his body in such sharp focus intrigues me as I have similar interests in portraiture. In addition to the artist's honesty, I really enjoy the fact that the Coplans does not seem to take himself too seriously, his body language in some suggest he is rather enjoying himself. Additionally, I am compelled by the artist's apparent lack of face; the anonymous nature of the figure in these images lends it an "everyman" appeal that, in conjunction with the quality and aesthetic of the image, make them seem less voyeuristic and "erotic" that other nude photographs, especially in an age inundated with sexual images.

Frieze No. 6 1994 Silbergelatinepapier Albertina, Wien

 Frieze No. 2 (four panels) 1994 Silbergelatinepapier Albertina, Wien

Self-Portrait: Three Times 1987 photograph gelatin silver transfer print © Estate of John Coplans

I really like Coplans' way of mounting multiple prints together, and his multiple exposures/overlays (as in the above image), as they seem to imply motion in the subject (himself). I can assume that the multiple prints no doubt assist in producing a larger image without the loss of detail... but the above image is by far one of my favorites in this series.

Back with Arms Above 1984 gelatin silver transfer print © The John Coplans Trust

Fantastic use of the human body, and in the case of the above image, not always immediately identifiable as the human figure. Suggestive of the notion that, as we age, we sometimes may not recognize our outward appearance... So funny and poignant!

Interlocking Fingers No 6 1999 gelatin silver transfer print, Albertina, Wien

Self-Portrait (Hands Spread on Knees) 1985 gelatin silver transfer print © The John Coplans Trust

      

More images from my last personal project

Artist 2: the artificial architecture of James Casebere

James Casebere

Landscapes with Houses

Samarra 2007 digital chromogenic print 72x90 inches

Luxor 2 2007 digital chromogenic print 90x72 inches

Luxor 3 2008 digital chromogenic print 72x90 inches

Spanish Bath (Horizontal) 2003 digital chromogenic print 90x72 inches

These photographs are stunning! The dramatic lighting, the vast emptiness, the careful composition, and the mind-blowing fact that these are photographs of models constructed and photographed in the Artist's studio combine to produce some of the most provocative empty-space photographs i have ever seen. These painstakingly constructed photographs by James Casebere are extremely detailed, and knowing that the table-sized models used to create these images were produced with mostly household objects makes them even more incredible.

MORE INFORMATION:
http://jamescasebere.com/

http://www.undo.net/it/mostra/124282

http://lejournaldelaphotographie.com/archives/by_date/2011-10-18/4482/james-casebere-works-1975-2010

Artist 1: Paris Hilton in her underwear in photographer Larry Sultan's parents house, and a beautiful car on fire

Artist 1: Paris Hilton in her underwear in photographer Larry Sultan's parents house, and a beautiful car on fire

Larry Sultan. Paris on My Parents’ Bed (2008) Chromogenic Print, 30" x 40". Courtesy Larry Sultan Estate and Stephen Wirtz Gallery (http://blog.sfmoma.org/2011/02/paris-hiltons-poetics/).

        An image from a series of photographs depicting the celebrity Paris Hilton, Paris on My Parents Bed (2008) is a seemingly candid photograph of the hotel heiress, laying on a bed in her bathrobe, casually checking her mobile phone (perhaps reading a text message or screening a phonecall). For this series for Interview Magazine, Photographer Larry Sultan (1946-2009) brought Ms. Hilton to the San Fernando Valley in California, shooting the American socialite in the setting of his parent's suburban home. Retaining elements from several decades of decor, the room seems to have a timeless nature; with the exception of Ms. Hilton's cell phone, this scene could have occurred anywhere between the mid-fifties to the twenty-first century. Decorated like a stereotypical teenage girl's bedroom, with a plethora of over-stuffed pillows and ruffly curtains, the setting seems to belie the more adult reputation of the subject. While a majority of the decorations and furnishings seem rather innocent, the presence of the lamp (an erect rooster...) seems a covert sexual reference which, when coupled with the model's posturing and her attention to the phone in her hand, seems to give the composition subtle sexual undertones.

        In regards to the project itself, Mr. Sultan was quoted as saying "I said I'd do it if she would go to my parents' house and let me photograph her in my childhood home in her underwear like a horny teenager" (CITATION NEEDED).

Larry Sultan (2008)

from Evidence (Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel) 1977

       "In the mid-’70s, Sultan and artist buddy Mike Mandel spent two years perusing thousands upon thousands of anonymous industrial photographs from corporate and government files, gleaning 50 specimens that, without captions or context, portrayed alien situations and alarming consequences with an impact as puzzling as it is wrenching." (http://www.obit-mag.com/articles/larry-sultan-the-pleasures-of-doubt)