Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Christophe Gilbert










Christophe Gilbert is a Belgian photographer from Bruxelles, specialized in visual art. He is a self-made artist but he studied by working as an assistant for a well-known car photographer in the early 80s. Much of his work can be labeled as advertising photography. Gilbert realized that in advertising it was not about what you see, or even how you see things, but about how you wanted things to be seen. I really like his simple use of the human body and its interaction with the surrounding space. His digital manipulation skill is off the charts and something that is rarely seen. His clever use of human bodies to make up a larger image really gives the picture a different feel.

-Courtney Parkin

Monday, May 2, 2011

Sze Tsung Leong





'Horizons' is an ongoing series of photographs that depict expansive views of a broad spectrum of environments throughout the world. The locations of the images are be distant in geography, yet the photographs are all connected by a horizon which continues in the same position from image to image. Sze Tsung Leong presents this collection in a stunning way: side by side, the images form an extended landscape composed of photographs of varied continents, cities, terrains, and situations.   
 

The photographs (below) in the series 'History Images' are of histories, in the form of cities in China, either being destroyed or created at this point in time. These 'histories' are represented by traditional buildings and neighborhoods, urban centers, and natural landscapes, in the process of being erased. These photographs symbolize the absence of histories, in the form of construction sites - sites built upon places that no one would have even known existed. 
Lastly - I  simply appreciate the starkness of Leong's work - so still and sterile. 
Suzette Martinho
 




Sunday, May 1, 2011

Misha Friedman

 A portrait of miners enjoying some moonshine vodka after a long day underground.  This picture looks as though it could have been painted.  The coloring/contrast in it is unreal.




 
Photographer, Misha Friedman (based in NYC)  visits the former Soviet Union countries to explore his own roots and to try and understand what exactly is a "Russian or a Ukrainian or an Uzbek soul." I am particularly fond of this series: Donbass Romanticism - inspired by German and French Romantic paintings of the 19th Century.  These industrial landscapes feel familiar as they are reminiscent of those I see in my own home town- they are truly a sight to behold. 
Suzette Martinho

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Sarah VanDerBeek

Sarah VanDerBeek is an American artist who lives and works in New York. Coming from an artistic family, Sarah is the daughter of the late artist and experimental filmmaker Stan VanDerBeek, and sister of sculptor Johannes VanDerBeek. Sarah VanDerbeek works in photography in two interesting ways. First, I am very interested in her photographs of architectural ruins from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. This photographs displace time, and cause questions on the progression and repetition of history. Ultimately, these photographs seem to model solar systems or paintings, further displacing them from the architectural realm. Next, Sarah VanDerBeek makes sculptures that will eventually constitute the finished product of the photograph. Oftentimes these photographs are mysterious, stately, and quiet. I enjoy the translation of the artist's interest in architecture in these forms.






Friday, April 22, 2011

Mark Tipple







Mark Tipple is an Australian photographer. He did this cool series called The Underwater Project in which he photographed people swimming and surfing from underneath the water. More often then not the waves are crashing overhead which makes for some really interesting looking pictures. 
Julia Boneberg

Barbara Kruger





Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist who has been making works since the 1960s.  Kruger's work deals with political, social, and mostly feminist issues, and creates discussions about religion, race, gender, stereotypes, consumerism, and power.  By the 1980s, she had her style down, with large black and white images, with strong phrases (in Futura Bold) usually on red text boxes positioned carefully over the images.  Her use of personal pronouns draws the viewer in and makes them part of the piece.  I love her works because they are simple, strong, eye-catching images that really make a statement and comment on all different parts of our culture.  I especially like her more feminist works, as they deal with real everyday issues that stereotype or put down women. (Ariel)

Raymond Meeks

Raymond Meeks is a photographer who lives and works out of Portland, Oregon. Most of his work focuses on nature and his surrounds, and hint at loss and redemption. He uses old and found books to make artist books, in which he mounts his photographs to the pages of preexisting books. Meeks restitches and rebinds many of the books, tones and hand colors some of his black and white prints.




-Abby