Abe Frajndlich

Upon a search for photographers looking at the idea of photographing other photographers, I came across the work of Abe Frajndlich, born 1946, a United States of America resident after moving via Isreal, Brazil and France at the age of 10 from Frankfurt, Germany.

Frajndlich has created a series of work spanning over 20 years with over 100 different portraits of fellow photographers including the likes of Duane Michals and Annie Liebovitz in a series titled ‘Penelope’s Hungry Eyes’ as a reference to the wife of Odysseus who had a strong belief and patience for the return of her husband. The body of work seeks to uncover those who’s eyes are hidden by a camera, where Frajndlich has sought to discover and document his fellow photographers to discover and express what makes each photographer tick. Each photograph is personal to those within the photograph with setting, props and scenario changing in relation to how each photographer feels about being photographed or how they want to be perceived by other photographers and the public. Colour or black and white is a selective choice between the availability and the choice of the photographer being photographed as to portray a particular emotion/ idea across to the observer. The photographs presented are often subtly humorous, portraying a notion of creativity amongst photographers while the work responds to the similarities and differences, and also reputation of the person and the photographer (Frajndlich, A,  2013). The body of work has undergone several incarnations with publications at different times of the process with the series taking a form of Masters of Light, in 1991.

Cindy Sherman, 1987
Abe Frajndlich
http://www.abefoto.com.html

From the work of Frajndlich, a common theme is the choice of focus upon the eye of the photographer, the most valuable aspect of the photographer. Looking and seeing photographs is a key skill in distinguishing between photographs as we are inundated with photographs daily.

Frajndlich, A, 2013, Bio, [online] [accessed on 20/04/2015] Available from http://www.abefoto.com/bio.html

Frajndlich, A, 1991, ‘Photo ops with the masters’, Artnews,[online] vol 90, pgs 125-129 [Accessed 25/04/2015] Available from Art Source

Frajndlich, A. 2012, Photographing photographers, New York Times [online] 15 Jan. 2012 pg 7 [Accessed 25/04/2015] Available from Academic OneFile

Tregoning, B, 2015 PENELOPE’S HUNGRY EYES. [online] [Accessed 28/04/2015] Available at: http://www.tregoningandco.com/penelopes-hungry-eyes.html

Jean-Baptiste Huynh

French Portrait Photographer Jean-Baptiste Huynh has captured many portraits across the globe working in both colour and black and white photography. Many different characters are captured in intense detail and spirit through a connection found through the eye contact through from the sitter to the observer. A technical decision was made for the use of a plain black background for the portraits as to distract least from the expression of the sitter (Gerald, M, 2009, pg 136). The photographs are always square.

Inde – Portrait XXX, 2004
Jean-Baptiste Huynh
http://www.galerie-lelong.com/en/oeuvres-jean-baptiste-huynh-331.html

Mali – Portrait XXVI, 2003
Jean-Baptiste Huynh
http://www.galerie-lelong.com/en/oeuvres-jean-baptiste-huynh-331.html

The Portrait is one where the gaze is direct and precise to show the intent of the subject with sincerity towards who the people are whilst giving a sense of respect in the close up portrait, giving the portrait another element which is evoked. This respect for the sitter is one which may be difficult to achieve, particularly when there are barriers between the photographer and the photographed, as noticed in the lower photograph of the visually impaired. Respect is given through the careful lighting and composition of the portrait which is centralised and clear in intentions upon showing the beauty of those of the world.

The colours within the photographs are not done in halves. When colour has been used it is vibrant and conveys clarity to the portrait while those in black and white are also full of clarity which in turn allows for a focus to be held upon that of the subject of the portrait which is pure and illuminating upon the purity of the characteristics featured within each portrait (Camera Work, 2015). The illumination of the characteristics has literally been evoked from the skilled lighting techniques that gently tease each detail and characteristic from the skin of the sitter, something which takes time to be able to achieve, working the lights to work succinctly with the camera.

Matt, G, 2009, Das Porträt: Fotographie Als Bühne ; The Portrait: Photography As Stage, Nurnberg, Verlag fur moderne Kunst Nurnberg

Jeanbaptistehuynh.com, 2015, Jean Baptiste Huynh –  Biographie [online] [Accessed 21/04/ 2015] Available at http://www.jeanbaptistehuynh.com/contenu.php?id_contenu=2&id_dossier=2

Camera Work, 2015, JEAN-BAPTISTE HUYNH [online] [Accessed 21/04/2015] Available at:http://camerawork.de/en/artists/jean-baptiste-huynh/

Cecil Beaton

In a series of works, Cecil Beaton has photographed many artists from fine art to photography and carries the honour of having held the first retrospective exhibition of a major photographer at the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1968 (NPG, 2015)
One of his photographs of photographer features Patrick Lichfield holding a Hasselblad, ready for use but looking directly into the camera held by Cecil Beaton (Beaton, C, 2014, pg 274, 275). This photographic portrait is amusing capturing a photographer mid photograph with bemusement and annoyance to being photographed at the moment in time.

Patrick Lichfield
Cecil Beaton
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw65683/Patrick-Lichfield?LinkID=mp60444&search=sas&sText=patrick+lichfield&role=sit&rNo=2

Although photographing many artists, Beaton has not included props that are relevant to the artist, this choice is selective towards how Beaton wishes to portray the sitter. His portrait of David Bailey, the iconic editorial and fashion photographer,  does not use any props to symbolise who he is but to shows who Bailey is as a person, rather than a guy with a camera. (Beaton, C, 2014, pg 260, 261) This photograph is fully focused and cropped to remove any outward distractions but the pose at which Bailey is in is one selected by the sitter as reference to himself and how he wishes to be portrayed within such portrait which is open and easy to look at while the eyes create a focus point to show his personality through his eyes that express a slight humour and content with being photographed that contradicts the loose fist held against his head suggesting the impatience of his personality. The focus on these aspects by Beaton is one to be admired as he is able to convey the feelings, granted the connotation of feelings within the portrait in a crop of the frame to focus upon the features that are most relevant to revealing the identity that remains natural amongst the knowledge of the photograph.

David Bailey
Cecil Beaton
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw67099/David-Bailey?search=sp&OConly=true&sText=david+bailey&rNo=14

His work has the ability to perfectly manage soft tones and the magic of light and shadow to produce technically perfect and beautiful portraits (Beaton, C, 2005 pg 5). The subtle, soft lighting softens the mood and encourages the traces of identity to be more prominent.

 

Beaton, C, 2005, Cecil Beaton: Fotografie, Kempen, te Neus

Beaton, C, Vickers, H, 2014, Cecil Beaton: Portraits and Profiles, London, Frances Lincoln

Garner, P, Mellor, D, 2012, The Essential Cecil Beaton, Munich, Schirmer/Mosel

Aletti, V, 2012, Cecil Beaton:The New York Years, Aperture, vol 207 Summer 2012, pg 11, 12

NPG, 2015, Cecil Beaton, [online] [Accessed 19/02/2015] Available from http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp05064/cecil-beaton?search=sas&sText=cecil+beaton

Editing and Publishing Images

Very near The Arctic Circle, The North Atlantic Ocean, PistilWarargrunn
Looking towards the Old Lands, Hraunhafnartangi, Melrukkaslétta, Nardur-Pingeyjarsysla, Nordurland Eystra, Iceland, 2007-2008
The North-most point of Iceland, 66° 33.087’ N
Thomas Joshua Cooper
http://www.lannan.org/art/exhibition-program/selections-from-true-photographs-by-thomas-joshua-cooper/

During a workshop, a task had been given where photographs and text had been taken out of a photographic journal, in this particular case, Source Magazine, Autumn 2009. With no knowledge of the photographer images from a series had to be placed in an order in which we would present them in an article spread, whilst also choosing a title image. The title image became the easest of decisions where the main purpose of a title image is to gain the attention of someone. It needs to be one of 3 things; aesthetically pleasing, shocking or confusing/obscure. In the case of the images given within the group, we chose the most aesthetically pleasing/beautiful image which gained our interest instantly when all the images were spread across the table to be compared.
The piece of text on the side was not of much use as it was not a full piece and only gave out information that the images presented, were of a journey of the Atlantic Basin to which inspired the choice to lay out the images in an order which would portray such journey. Unfortunately we had no access to any mapping of the Atlantic Basin or knowledge on how to arrange co-ordinates in the correct order therefore the order was guestimated with good intentions. The order varied slightly from the original source but that was to be expected.

The photographs captured of this order became corrupted but images used in the series have been found from the original source.

 

Lannan.org, (2015). Selections from True: Photographs by Thomas Joshua Cooper – Lannan Foundation. [online]  [Accessed 23/03/2015] Available at: http://www.lannan.org/art/exhibition-program/selections-from-true-photographs-by-thomas-joshua-cooper/

Welch, E, 2009,Between A Map And A Wild Place: An Interview with Thomas Joshua Cooper, Source, Issue 60, pg 10-23  

 

David Bailey – Celebrity Portraits

Kate Moss, 2013
David Bailey
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/david-baileys-stardust-national-portrait-gallery-review-celebrity-portraits-over-50-years-1436748

David Bailey has become one of the iconic fashion photographers of history, becoming notorious for his work in the swinging sixties, working for Vogue for 15 years using particular models for a long period of time, building a relationship between model and photographer that is also beneficial for he interaction in the photograph. He developed his work to integrate the pop culture into fashion photography, taking new steps as a Cockney heterosexual male in a homosexual world. Bailey started to capture the female model as a the female with legs and breasts, empowering a sense of lust and desire to the figure over the body of working as a high-glamour clothes rack. It could be seen that he also see’s the word differently from his upbringing as a dyslexic who was frowned upon, working as a debt collector, carpet salesman and window dresser.

His work as a portrait photographer is the work that is most intriguing. The square, black and white photographs of celebrities and other well-known people (such as the Kray twins) are works capturing more than just a facet of a personality, the mask is still there but the is a sense of character evoked from each photograph. The series of works began in the 1960’s but continues to this day, building a larger and larger collection of portraits. There is a classic whiteout background in all these portraits with the prominence of photographs focused above the waist. There is interesting crops in the photographs to emphasise different regions and character of the sitter. In contrast to other portrait photographers, Bailey uses a high contrast in the lighting, creating darker shadows on the face of the sitter which is not used often by portrait photographers. The high contrast is bold and yet beautiful, allowing for the possibility that not all of the personality of the sitter is seen. These portraits of celebrities are comical and serious with emphasis upon the person under the skin, taking photographs of immense detail and personality that is wished to be portrayed. Not every photograph is the same but there is a certain atmosphere within the photographs that are familiar in all of Bailey’s work but the particular notion is impossible to pinpoint.

Work has been exhibited globally with many book publications documenting his work while having been published in a variety of magazine publications such as Vogue.

Mick Jagger
David Bailey
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/david-baileys-stardust-national-portrait-gallery-review-celebrity-portraits-over-50-years-1436748

 

 

Bailey, D, 2000, David Bailey: If We Shadows, London, Thames & Hudson

Bailey, D, 2007, David Bailey: Spezial Fotografie, Kempen, teNeues

National Portrait Gallery, 2015, David Bailey [online] [Accessed 23/02/2015] http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp05044/david-bailey

Damtsa, V, (2014). David Bailey’s Stardust at National Portrait Gallery Review: Celebrity Portraits Over 50 Years. [online]  [Accessed 22/02/2015] Available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/david-baileys-stardust-national-portrait-gallery-review-celebrity-portraits-over-50-years-1436748

Sooke, A, 2014, Sprinkle stardust on me: EXHIBITION A huge retrospective shows off David Bailey’s gift for turning the celebrity photograph into art, The Daily Telegraph [Online] 5 February 2014 [Accessed 23/02/2015] ProQuest European Newsstand

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2014 Exhibit

On show at The National Portrait Gallery has been the annual Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, 2014. A selection of photographic portraits have been selected and put on show. A variety of portraits have been included however, I have to admit a slight feeling of boredom to the collection on show although I do particularly like the strikingly contrasted black and white portrait of the late Roger Llyod-Pack. One other image that caught my attention was a photograph by Tobias Hutzler, Syrian FSA Rebel, October 2013. This gruesome portrait of a young man with a hole in his forehead revealing the bone beneath has captured the stark reality of war in a single image of one of those in the war with his soul on show in the narrow depth of field and white background. His expression fearless and content, showing his hurt from the situation. The central focus is shocking and sets off a gag reflex before looking into the eyes to see the full effect upon this person.

Syrian FSA Rebel
Tobias Hutzler
http://www.postmods.com/index.php?/the-newyorktimes-magazine—refugees/

Hutzler, T, The New York Times Magazine: How To Build A Perfect Refugee Camp, 2015, [online] [Accessed 08/02/2015] Available from http://www.postmods.com/index.php?/the-newyorktimes-magazine—refugees/

McCabe, E, 2014, Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2014, London, National Portrait Gallery

London – National Gallery : Part 2

Following with the theme of water and expressionism, the work of Maggi Hambling is certainly attention grabbing with its notion of water spray whilst being abstract in colour and emotions, evocative of a person’s soul. Without reading the name of the artwork, one of the pieces is instantly recognisable as conveying the soul of the late Amy Winehouse, with the bold colours associated with her body image and exuberant personality.

For Amy Winehouse
Maggi Hambling
http://www.maggihambling.com/2014/09/walls-of-water-the-national-gallery-london/ 

The works are, in essence, an abstract portrait of a person’s character and soul, channeling emotions through colour and paint spray that is reminiscent of the spray of the sea as part of the title of the series, Walls of Water.

Wall of Water VIII
Maggi Hambling
http://www.maggihambling.com/work/

There are two sets of work, one large-scale colour pieces while a smaller exhibition in one of the ground cafés, shows smaller, black and white works of water. The works are often controvercial but

“The crucial thing that only painting can do is to make you feel as if you’re there while it’s being created – as if it’s happening in front of you.” 

Maggi Hambling (Nationalgallery.org.uk, 2015)

This work can be seen as the contemporary parallel to the seascapes of Peder Balke.

Nationalgallery.org.uk, (2015). Maggi Hambling: Walls of Water | Exhibitions and displays | The National Gallery, London. [online] [Accessed 06/02/2015] Available at: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/maggi-hambling-walls-of-water

Maggihambling.com, (2014). Walls of Water – The National Gallery, London | Maggi Hambling. [online] [Accessed 06/02/2015] Available at: http://www.maggihambling.com/2014/09/walls-of-water-the-national-gallery-london/

Maggie Hambling: Walls of Water, The National Gallery, London, 03/02/2015

Cindy Sherman : Artist Timeline

Untitled Film Still No.21 1978
Cindy Sherman

As part of the group portrait timeline, the work of Cindy Sherman was given to me as a task to research. I had already been familiarised with her work however after this further research into her work, it became clearer that her work was a critic of the media around her in conjuction to the inspiration of such mediums which is clear in her most famous series ‘Untitled Film Stills’; inspired by the movies and actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Sofia Loren. Her work has become darker over the years with inspiration from carnivals, fairy tale and myth to create haunting and disturbing self portraits where it is hard to distinguish that it is her (MOMA, 2015).

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer born 1954. She started focusing upon photography at Buffalo State College (1972-6) during the study of art(Tate, 2015).  The photographs predominantly express herself in the media centred world, portraying herself in different scenarios and characters, drawing upon the ideas presented in popular culture such as old movies, television soaps and pulp magazines. Her most famous series of work that put her work into the limelight was the work ‘Untitled Film Stills’ in black and white Hollywood, film noir. This series from the early 1980s has been exhibited through group and solo exhibitions across America and Europe while still having the odd exhibition of this work today. The primary inspiration of the series of work came from actresses Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. As you look at the work over the years, work has moved from the sexual and light mood to some more horrific display. There is a continuation of self portrait characterisation through the 1990s with more disturbing characters which have been featured in history in myth, carnival and fairytales (MOMA, 2015) The dominance over all themes covered is the play of fiction and performance in stereotypical appearance(Tate, 2015).  Sherman’s work can be classified  as contemporary art.

The ability to adapt into each role in photography, from model and photographer to the other roles of hair stylist, make-up artist and wardrobe mistress, puts her in a position that allows her to completely portray a different series of characters in a way that she wishes with no questioning opinions of other set workers which would normally be present and may question some ideas. The freedom of her work allows inspiration from all genres of the media from the internet, TV, movies, magazines and history. It is not always clear when it is her in each photograph with the quality of physical appearance in costume and make up.

Work appears in collections globally from the Tate Gallery, London, and the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC, as well as in the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan and Brooklyn museums, New York.

 

Tate, (2015). Cindy Sherman, ‘Untitled Film Still #48’ 1979, reprinted 1998. [online] [Accessed 28/01/2015] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/cindy-sherman-1938

Moma.org, (2015). MoMA | Cindy Sherman. [online] [Accessed 28/01/2015] Available at: http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1170