Pierre et Gilles

Pierre et Gilles (Pierre Commoy and Gilles Blanchard) born 1950 and 1953, have been living and working together in Paris since 1976, influencing contemporary photography definitively.  Although I've always seen myself as strictly a natural landscape photographer, some how these images of their flamboyant glittery work of a dreamy world filled with religious, mythological, iconography symbolism have caught my eye. All sorts of people like movie/music stars, princes and sailors, angels and demons, porn stars and boys next door are shown in their body of work.
They have created portraits for the likes of Marc Almond, Marilyn Manson, Kylie Minogue, Iggy Pop, Nina Hagen, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Madonna, to name just a few. Pierre photographs the models and Gilles retouches and hand-colors the print, highlighting each detail to create a vivid and colorful aesthetic, almost perfect and dream-like.  As stated- “This is a little bit of photo, a little bit of painting. There is the idealization of the sopped moment; Gilles with his brush can go and go back, and there is no time limit.”
Long ago I came across this picture, came in a book with a brief description pointing some details about the juxtaposition between the devil (where the work takes title: "The Devil" ) and the cherubim.

Robert Glenn Ketchum

When I see Robert Glenn Ketchum's body of work, I first think 'windows xp wallpaper background'.  I think of the images that come with computers, so you can decorate your computer background with 'pretty pictures'.  They are beautiful nonetheless. But I also begin to see that it's more of a statement for the preservation and conservation of nature.  Making interest arise for that movement.  His compositions strike an interest in me when I view how he lays out the photograph.  The way he includes bright contrasting colors and how he carefully uses them.  There is no over-saturation, very detailed oriented. I feel they are very believable where in these days manipulation seems to be everywhere.

Richard Misrach

Misrach is best known for his landscape scenes.  But his landscapes don't just involve nature itself.  I'm drawn to the ones where they have been altered by human life.  The one below shows a classic western scene but the landscape is altered by the fire near by. The fire was probably caused by humans of course.   His compositions are strong as well.  His images make me question how I do my landscapes.  Do I just want to show a pretty scene or create something more meaningful.  Most of his work depicts little life after humans are long gone.  He is very consistent with the tone of colors, always a muted semi-monochromatic image.  

Chris Verene

 Chris Verene (born 1969, Galesburg, Illinois) Attended Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.  His famous works include Camera Club (Verenes series of photography clubs that advertise to aspiring models offering them a career in the modeling industry, later included to Whitney Biennial) and The Self-Esteem Salon (a performance artwork where Verene's alter personality Cheri Nevers builds a set for "clients" who are in need of a spa-like therapy.. women who need help excepting themselves.)

I'm not entirely sure if it's the colors in his series or the use of light and flash that draw me into his work.  It's honest and doesn't seem demeaning (the monochromatic image above by far is stunning to me). Where some try to stage or even take advantage of the people he uses, he creates beautiful photographs of a struggling culture from the midwest.  Turning their "average-ness" into some extraordinary with color and composition. 

Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz (born 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut) studied painting at first at the San Francisco Art Institute but after a trip to Japan her interests photography arose.  In 1970 she began doing work for Rolling Stone magazine.  Two years later she was named chief photographer for the magazine.  In 1983 she joined Vanity Fair, and in 1998 began working Vogue magazine.
One her most famous photographs include the portrait of  John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1980, who had recently released their album “Double Fantasy.” The portrait shows Lennon nude and curled around a fully clothed Ono. Several hours later, Lennon was shot dead in front of his apartment. The photograph ran on the cover of the Rolling Stone Lennon commemorative issue.

Her books include Annie Leibovitz: Photographs (1983), Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970–1990 (1991), Olympic Portraits (1996), Women (1999), American Music (2003), A Photographer’s Life: 1990–2005 (2006), and Annie Leibovitz at Work (2008).

I'm on the edge John Lennons and Yoko Onos portrait.  By far it's a unique and beautiful portrait of the couple.  It represents that they possessed a unique attachment to each other. One thing I'm sure about is that if John hadn't been killed it wouldn't have been as much of a successful photograph. I truly do believe that it makes a difference.  With American pop culture it's always been the rise and fall of celebrities.  It makes it far more interesting when the last photograph of a pop icon is taken hours before an untimely death.  That's what makes this photograph succeed.

Garry Winogrand

Garry Winogrand (1928-1984) was a photographer (known for his portrayal of America in the 1960s and ’70s), born in New York City.  He became part of the new era of "snapshots", where it wasn't about how beautiful the photograph was, it was about capturing the odd ends and quirks of everyday life.  His style reminds me of Frank's The Americans.  
After reading a bit about him, it makes me wonder if I should devote as much time on one shot as he had done.  Growing up I always thought the best photographers would just skip around with their camera and take a couple of shots and that would be it.  Obviously that's not the case.  I've learned that I can't just spend one or two hours a week and expect extraordinary results. Winogrand probably had his Leica 24/7! I envy how he (and other photographers at the time) were able to take shots of strangers.  There's something so strange yet familiar with his photographs. It seems like he was aggressive and determined (2,500 undeveloped rolls of film when he died).  Reminds me of the opposite of Edward Weston- where Weston was all about complete tonality and right exposure, and Winogrand just seemed unconcerned with that type of stuff yet retaining a sense of composition.

 

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard (1925–1972) was an American photographer who lived in Lexington, Kentucky. Most of his work consisted of dark imagery.

There's an appeal to his nostalgic small black-and-white photographs which reach out in a dark moody emotional way.  He know how to use his camera technically (long exposures, etc.)  I love how he around the time when "moody dark emotional" photography became popular with pop culture.  His work had that "gothic" style before such a thing.

It intrigues me how he uses the juxtaposition of the surreal/disturbing with the realm of the everyday life. A lot of his shots with children remind me of parents taking everyday pictures of their children except things aren't ordinary and life isn't what it seems.

Meatyard knew his camera very well- he was able to use it as more of a tool for making art rather than just simple snapshots.  I don't believe he would walk right up and take the photos, he probably spent time on the exposures, composition, and the creativeness. (for example- using abandoned farmhouses and neglected buildings added more to the dark tone he was aiming for.