Nikki Lee

  Holy Shit!


I was not very impressed at first when I looked at these photographs. 'Sure I said, 'they're depicting different social stratas as a way to give me a glimpse into this world. And, even more, this photographer isn't all about high quality images, and the snapshot thing seems like the work is rawer.' But then I began to see what makes this work so compelling.

Works courtesy of fraction magazine


    Upon wikipediaing Ms. Lee I learned:
               "Lee's most noted work, Projects (1997–2001), begun while still in school, depicts her in snapshot photographs, in which she poses with various ethnic and social groups, including drag queens, punks, swing dancers, senior citizens, Latinos, hip-hop musicians and fans, skateboarders, lesbians, young urban professionals, and Korean schoolgirls." (Courtesy of Wikipedia.org)

Then I looked back at all those images above (try it, it'll blow your mind). She then is so omnipresent in every picture. Such work transcends what is the typical role of a viewing audience. Yeah, they're cool images, but you never realize how much you are involved in these pieces. What I mean is that I felt slightly disappointed in myself for not noticing the peculiarities of the works. Maybe I need to start being a more active viewer. Maybe not. 

   It's very intriguing to think about all the aspects of art I, as a viewer, misses. I know I devote so much energy to subtleties and minute details in my work that why shouldn't I also analyze another artist's hard work as containing subtle and deliberate characteristics? Does it degrade me as a viewer to have missed so obvious the interesting and rather smart qualities of Ms. Lee's work? 

     This work speaks so much on identities, and the inability for someone to see at first a strong message in the work: we are not quite only shaped by the 'class' or race in which we are born in or choose to involve. But, rather we adapt ourselves to that environment: maybe subconsciously. 

      

   Ms. Lee pushes a very thought provoking thought in her work. For me, I see from her work that the visual world present how we express our 'attitude' more than just our race or the cultural identity we surround ourselves with .Our outward presence and the overall visual image of ourselves to the public sphere expresses what we will be communicating about ourselves more than actual auditory language.

 The visual world is omnipotent. Scary.

Kim Holtermand

Though the internet does not suffice for a good description of Mr. Holtermand's work, what we do know is he "is a freelance architectural and landscape photographer from Denmark [who] when he's not out taking mood epic photographs of architecture, Kim works  as a fingerprint expert in The Crime Scene Unit of the Danish National Police." (Courtesy of Behance Network)

Now for my take on his work. Holtermand's predominantly yellow-tinged and subtlety minimalist wide angle scenes go beyond the mundane architectural work you'd expect to see. A bright yet muted color palate along with a strong sense of vertical (and occasionally diagonal lines) augment the sense of emptiness in his scenes.

Mr. Holtermand's masterful ability to make expansive seem miniature has been a large focus of my current landscapes. I believe this is because he carefully coordinates parts of his scene within the whole realm of the photograph. Everything is placed with almost mathematical precision.   In addition to his excellent compositional skill I also hope draw from his levels of contrast: something I have been experimenting with  both in camera and post process. Finding a healthy medium in contrast without loss of information nor the loss of the power contrast can create has been an ongoing struggle for me.

Overall, I take from Holtermand's work the understanding of developing both a style for which to draw success, but also, from his subject matter, keeping a keen eye open to applying my artistic style/ formula with whatever I shoot. Be less fleeting, if not in life, at least in photography.

Courtesy of booooooom.com

Courtesy of twirkethic.com

Courtesy of drseussjuice.com

Courtesy of keef.tv

Courtesy of barrette.tumblr.com

Astrid Kirschherr and the Beatles

In the nature of a true education, I aim to cross-connect my courses. In this instance, the course I'm taking on the Beatles I aim to overlap with my omnipresent desire for portraiture. Ever more, I'm realizing education has one large purpose- to inform us of human interaction.

Kirschherr is best known for her portraits of the Beatles. Simply put, her these photographs cross-list my two earliest passions in music and art. The Beatles equate to my first musical love, portraits equate to one of my earliest forays in photo-arts.

Forcibly focused, intently aware

In the past month, I have found it harder and harder to focus on my photography. Though I blame two things- fewer ideas for locations to shoot and, more powerfully, a slight lack of interest- I do not think I still have the drive.

Though I haven't been out shooting every other day as I had hoped, I am still working hard. I have begun to both focus on my ideas and also I have come up with some exciting new aspects and ways of shooting. Shooting though car windows has began to look interesting for me. Additionally, I am focusing less on planning times to shoot and I have begun to go out and shoot more spontaneously.

My biggest problem, and the one I address here to you is that I like to get things done as soon as the ideas come to fruition. How can I separate myself from impatience in my work and instead continue to incubate my ideas? Additionally, how do I do that without procrastinating? Or worse, without losing the idea all together?

Enjoy the super bowl (commercials)

Luis Gispert

I've been wanting to show Luis Gispert's work for a little while. I think, as we venture home for the holidays, it is important to remember the journey. Let's just think about all the other folks around the globe who are doing the same thing: hitting the road. Though Gispert's recent work does not necessarily comment on traveling, his vehicle interiors against lewd backgrounds have a marvelous unpredictability and eccentricity, kind of like the holidays.

Venturing away from the holidays for a second, Gispert's photographs recreate sitting in many iconic vehicles: Airplanes such as the B17, & even the Knight Rider. Teasing are these photographs: we are unable to explore further the intricacies of the machineries nor are we able to really explore the scene behind the windshields.

I take this, and much of Gispert's work both very seriously and humorous. On one level his work seems to be  about baseline curiosity. But on another, there are very deeply troubling. The level of ambiguity alone- both marked physically by the compositions of the vehicles and marked by questions of 'where' (did these vehicles come from) 'why' (are they here) 'what) (is going on)- can be highly thought provoking. One of my favorite images, L.V. Escalade, acts as a good example. Sure, the fact that such a vehicle exists is humorous and kind of troubling. However, I am most intrigued by the angle at which the vehicle is situated against the background scene. It is an automobile, yet it seems to be ascending as would an airplane. Yet I can't really know, because its a photograph- an instance in time. I am left wondering 'why here', on a snowy desolate background would a very out-of-place automobile be travelling? Also fascinating for me is how close the driver's seat is to the steering wheel. Beyond telling me that a very short person must be driving this very big car, it, aided by the colors and patterns of the car's leather, implies a gender which aids in the mystery of the scene at hand.

For my work, I've taken inspiration from Gispert's color palate (which glows neon metallic with a strongly digital luster) and from his ideas. I aim in the work I am pursuing now to have the same level of interest and curiosity.

Have a safe trip everyone.

Huey 64x110"

Oh Lory Lory 72x105"

The Knight Rider 65x120"

L.V. Escalade 72x107"

All images from http://www.emptykingdom.com/main/featured/luis-gispert-ohwow/
All images courtesy of Luis Gispert 2010

Lori Nix

Photography and disaster go together like peanut butter and jelly

Lori Nix is a NYC based photographer who specializes in creating miniatures. I have utilized her models for influence of the disaster models of my images. Though I have focused less on a whole diorama and more on the models, Ms. Nix's dioramas have been proof of the fruitfulness that comes from enjoying what you do. 

Nix's subject matter, though constructed and not found, certainly derives from a vast imagination. It should not be lost that the world shows a great influence in her work. I believe, like myself, Ms. Nix uses colors in her images to methodically pinpoint the ways in which we interpret the world around us. She also uses depth of field, quite uniquely which has influenced the importance of depth of field in my work. Because of her work, I believe I have the ingrained idea that light and depth of field can create interest and narratives in an image. 

Nix is daring and also works in film (as must be made known by the dates of the images below.) Film, and the palates it ensues, aids to the quality and ideas of her work. This has been one of the hardest aspects to replicate in digital photography.

There is something about Snow Storm which really attracts me. The work is flat and painterly- kind of like 15 minute masterpieces- but it is also exceptionally composed, a paradoxically subtle and bright palate: all of which make the disaster even more profound. 

Her work is fun to look at, and, from my experience with models, it must have been fun to build. Art should be fun and insightful even when time consuming..

Blimp, 1998

California Forest Fire, 2001

Ice Storm, 1999

Junkyard, 2003

Nevada, 2003

Snow Storm, 1998 

Train, 1998

All images taken from http://www.lorinix.net/index.html

Christine Shank

By now, you may know that I like to look at the minute details. Christine Shank is a photographer whose work keeps coming back to me, pushing me to consider, though, oddly, I've rarely done so, until now. Her photographs are honest and surreal: implausibly eloquent. Every image reminds me of a miniature, however I'm just not sure how they could be. Her work is brilliant.

All praise aside, I'm take from Shank's Interior series of photographs how to formulaically make a large body of alike images interesting even after producing the images for months. This is a problem I often run into, and until recently, I have become sidetracked with long running projects- trying to reinterpret or totally run a clean slate underneath projects that just might not actually be finished.

Technically, Shank's images have a strong presence of, as I call it, creeping light; or little inflows of sunlight from windows and passageways. Creeping light really makes the allure of these images so much stronger. They do not look like faked scenes.

Conceptually, her Interior series reflects on loss, through neurosis, collectivism, or simple tragedy. These images have a profound emptiness and longing quality which I greatly admire. I wish I could step back from the works a little bit, but I become highly sensitized to them.

1035 unforgettable little mistakes

Against our better judgement, we simply watched 

The expectation continued to remain

Their relationship was reduced to habits 

They choose to smile and pretend nothing had changed 

You promised to listen

All images 24" x 30", 2006
All Images courtesy of the Artist
http://www.christineshank.com/index.html
Christine also has a book on display at Booksmart Studios in Rochester
She also had a show up in Harnett Gallery at the University of Rochester in 2006