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.
Need one more blog -
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