Alex Prager

Alex Prager, another artist currently showing at New Photography 2010 at the MoMA, as stated on their press release, 'takes cues from pulp fiction and the fashion images of Guy Bourdin to construct filmic narratives starring women disguised under synthetic wigs, dramatic makeup and retro polyester attire" This is fairly spot on. But, I would like to add, Prager's images depict causal scenes very much synonymous with women in 1960s hollywood films where airports, and beaches predominate.

What I like most about Prager's work is his ability to create narratives in these images which have both a very interesting ideal and allure along with hinting at an untold story about to unfold. Beyond the simple stills, these images are highly dramatic, but I'm not sure why. I love photographs which tell a story but do not fill in all the information nor will they ever be able to be defined by one story.

Technically, I adore the neon glows of these colors. Retro and simply placed in context, I think their colors aid incredibly the attitude of the images. All photos selected below depend on the colors and textures of their backgrounds as well. The figures are very important, but so too are the background Prager has chosen.

Finally, I was attracted to these images because of the figures and their titles. The titles are just as important to defining the characters as the photographs themselves. Metaphors in titles as they relate to images interest me greatly.

Images from Top to Bottom:

1. Alexandra 2007

2. Annie 2008

3. Cyrstal 2008

4. Despair Film Still #3

5. Julie 2007

6. Kimberly 2008

7. Nancy 2008

http://www.alexprager.com/

Roe Ethridge

Roe Ethridge's images, many of which are currently at the New Photography 2010 exhibit at the MoMA, represent both an editorial and stylistically minimalistic approach to common images. These photographs are clearly from film, which not only adds to their appeal, but sets a sort of 'age' to the images. These images as art depend highly on the film-like quality. But even more, their compositions are often wide angles and vivid colors (a  product of 35mm and a wide angle lens) and are characteristics that appeal to me.

I am inspired by Ethridge's simplistic yet masterful use of form and functionality of seemingly unrelated images. Photography suffers, I believe, from often being an image-to-image art form, and, though Ethridge's images are so very different, they seem connected by their four corners- and their frames. Everything within the four corners are meant to be there.

Images: From top to bottom: 

1. Bunker Lane 2007

2. Canada (near baniff) 2005

3. Cappy (Mug Shot)

4. Junction Atlanta

5. Old Phone and Neon Rainbow 2006

6. Williamsburg Bridge 2008

from http://www.andrewkreps.com/artists_portfolio.html?aid=54

Matt Stuart

Matt Stuart is a 'street photographer' of the highest order. He enjoys the business of 'being nosey' but his images are humorously simplistic and sophisticated. None of them are staged. Instead his process is honest and he states "I can't hide behind lights and technology, I am reliant of a small Leica camera, patience and lots of optimism." He is attempting to "burrow deep" into peoples' memories. He certainly has my attention.

I have a lot of trouble describing Stuart's work. This may be from the fact that it describes itself. Beyond the humor I am attracted to Stuart's careful study of subtleties. Above all else, he is a master of anticipation, which is something I believe I, as well do well.

What I take from Stuart's work and incorporate into my work is how to think about the scene differently. Though I am currently not shooting photographs of people, I like his off-kilter depths and brilliant colors. I am also encouraged by the fact that Stuart still shoots film, and I want to get to the point in my passion and in time where I will never leave the house without my camera and a few rolls of film (and enough of an income from what I do to do this comfortably).

Let the photo speaking begin!

By far, my favorite

All photos and quotes courtesy of Matt Stuart

Phillip Toledano

Phillip Toledano states, on his site  that "photographs should be like unfinished sentences. There should always be space for questions." Though he states his work is socio-political, I believe it is much more profound. Though he is a photojournalist and sells his images to the mainstream media, his work stands alone- it is much more conceptual and profound.

Toledano's portraits, for example have more than one unanswered questions. Even when there is presence there is absence as well. The images I have chosen here, though they only represent a small body of his work, provided me the with most eerily and exciting feelings. The first four seem somewhat advertising-based however the stories of these images and, with the last two images, the uncomfort I feel transcends their simple exact compositions. I believe I am attracted to these images because of the careful lighting which creates precise shadows and accentuates the textures of clothing and human flesh.

The bottom 5 images are from a  very profound body of Toledano's work about his father who is suffering from severe Alzheimer's disease. Though I was young, my Grandfather-a man who was important to me beyond the stories he told me as a kid, but by the way I saw his love for my father and vice versa- also died of Cancer, which he refused treatment for because of his rapidly progressing Alzheimer's. I am entrhalled by how Toledano chose to use photography to make witness to and to fight the disease. Beyond empathy, such bodies of work will redefine the photo industry.

So, from Toledano's work I am encouraged. Most of all, I see that there are photographers out in a rather niche industry of media photography that are thinking progressively. I hope, if I go into that business, I can produce work as meaningful and as profound as Toledano.

Images Above  Courtesy of http://www.art-dept.com/artists/toledano/index.html
Images Below Courtesy of http://www.dayswithmyfather.com/

Arnold Odermatt

Arnold Odermatt  is a Swiss police photographer who is best known for his black and white photographs of car accidents. What I like most about these photographs is how they convey a story and slight personality simply from their point of view/angle and depth of field. As well, the images are crisply and carefully framed as to preserve nothing more and nothing less than needs to be seen. Odermatt varies his composition from box to more traditional vertical and horizontal. Box images such as the ones here on the right seem to draw they eye into the actual vehicular damage. The images on the left, which are in more traditional shapes seem to utilize backdrop and long depth of field better.                                                                                              
       Odermatt's car photos exploit contrast in a way of depicting the crunchy, raw nature of the crashes. Along with contrast, I believe textures- either from grass, pavement, and weather conditions of the accident provide a very vivid idea of what may have happened in these scene. But the work is even strong in the ambiguity: the fact that it forces the viewer to attempt to rationalize the crash is incredibly insightful.

     Odermatt's images relate directly to my work. I found Odermatt's work after starting to rethink my miniature car photographs project that some of you might have seen. I don't know why, but as a photographer I am interested by  tragedy and I incorporate my childhood memories of building and destroying toy cars and other toy figures into my work. Memory is a strong part of my work, and certainly I like to believe it is a strong part of Odermatt's as well. I wish I had his job...that would be awesome.

All photographs courtesy of http://www.jameskelly.com/oder/oder.html

Henri Cartier-Bresson

 Henri Cartier-Bresson is one of my photo icons. His photography documents the historical importance of photography. Yet his photographs are timeless, passionate, and emotional. One of my biggest struggles as a photographer has been to depict in my work the emotionalism of the scenes I have photographed. I look at Cartier-Bresson's work as the epitome of defining the emotionalism of his scenes: this is the greatest beauty of his work. It is a wholly realistic and entirely honest glimpse.

Cartier-Bresson started his career in France during WWII and, to make his extraordinary story short, he ended up in the United States and founded the legendary Magnum Photography along with Richard Capa. Cartier-Bresson's methods also interest me. His photography are consistently shot in 35mm, a format very new at the onset of his career, and this method somewhat defines the beauty of his work. His images aren't always crystal clear, but through the utilization of 35mm, Cartier-Bresson set the standard for capturing the unexpected moment. This is something we all take for granted since the advent of 35mm, then consumer point and shoots in addition to the invention of the auto-focus. Cartier-Bresson's photographs are conceptually and compositionally stunning.

I seek in many of my outdoor photographs to focus on the beauties of subtleties of seemingly overlooked scenes. As much as possible I try to point my camera away from those objects that are photographed constantly. When I look at Cartier-Bresson's work I am overwhelmed by his brilliant capturing of the beauties in the subtleties. I look at his photographs whenever I need some inspiration for composition and contrasts.

 Above all else, Cartier-Bresson's images speak to me of the grand adventure of photography. It is, and never will be, about the money or the fame. It is about the image- a preservation of a reality that will never again exist.

Photo Credits: Photos 1-5 Courtesy of http://artstor.org and the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation. 

                      Photo 6 Copyright Daniel S. Neuner.

1. Behind the San Gare Saint Lazare, Paris 

2. New England 

3. Arizona

4. Cuauhctemocztin street, Mexico City

5. Brie, France

6. The Pain of Clarity 

Gordon Cheung

      I  found and was intrigued by Gordon Cheung's mixed media art through the Psychedelic catalog for the upcoming Psychedelic show at the MAG. Cheung lives and works in London. In most of his art work Cheung uses the stock listings or financial sections of newsprint. He layers acrylic gel and spray paint to formulate his images from the print, all of which is fixed on canvas. 

     Cheung's work is visually stunning and, paired with its intelligent presentation, his works makes a strong statement concerning societal chaos.  I an drawn to how the colors seem to melt off of the pages, while the overwhelming multitude of stock listings and financial trading numbers remains. In most of his work, the stock listings are there only as backdrop, but their presence not only changes the attitude of the work:  the drab and undersaturated look it creates changes the overall mood of the work. 

    Cheung's work varies from desolate landscape scenes to portraits of people and animals. His work remains focused around the idea of the apocalypse both post and prior.  Cheung's work is an extensive body of work. On one side, the viewer is treated to the post-apocalypse through mural-like images that do not seem far from images visible in newspapers daily. On the other, Cheung presents pre-apocalypse through his use of images depicting those elements that have the power to lead to the apocalypse. For example Cheung is fascinated with religious symbolism, and cultural facts that can be seen as evidence of extremism in society. With the latter,  images that depict famous celebrities and billionaires, embellish how important these people are on society. It is as if Cheung  is saying that  such a small group of the 7 Billion people of earth own a large majority of all wealth on earth. Certainly paired alongside stock listings, this comparison becomes stronger.

For my own work, I was fascinated by how realistic Cheung's pieces seemed to be. At the very least, I saw in Cheung's works a depiction of the world as is possible through continuous societal decay and insensitivity. I am inspired by his work to try to make my work stronger by merging edginess without being blatantly crude. Though his work is not too similar technically to my process, conceptually I share with Cheung a strong interest in the ideas of ruin and disaster and how it pertains to our surrounding comfort bubbles.

All Photographs courtesy of Gordon Cheung

http://www.gordoncheung.com/index.html