This photograph really interested me because of its ability to remove the subject from a sense of time and place. It almost reminds me of the moment where you're in between being awake and asleep.

I really don't like this image, it is way too dark and more of a test shot anyway. But I really didn't have time to sift through all my images that I shot the last few days, so I figured I would post this one before I delete it. The wonderful and ephemeral life of a digital photograph.

 

While this photo really has nothing to do with my concept for our project two, I just found myself drawn to the idea of having a cattle run located right in the city. I'm really not too sure why, possibly how it can relate to it in the sense that it may represent the way we have outlined our own lives;constantly being led through a series of structures and pathways that our supposed to define who we are. 

I've actually never seen VALIE EXPORT'S work before, but after looking at just a few selected works I've found it to be quite beautiful. Once again, I feel attracted to her work not only because the visuals are beautiful, but because it seems to be a lot about self exploration of the human body to that of her environments. The way she is capable of using the inherent properties of the medium of photography is very interesting; knowing how to fully take advantage of photography's ability to completely remove something from context and as a result, creating images that escape the banality of the everyday image.This concept is something i find myself constantly interested in when taking photos, and even a concept that I used with my last project. http://www.valieexport.at/en/symposien-vortraege/

Vito Acconci has always been one of my favorite video artists and it is nice to see some of his other work outside that of video. One thing that I've always admired( not so much in this piece), is his ability to put himself in vulnerable situations in order to convey his desired message to the viewer, often times it is a bit obscure, but beautiful. This piece, while not as provocative as some of his other work, is still an interesting look at self exploration through his artistic practices. This idea of self exploration is something I'm trying to achieve in a lot of my stuff, often times you look strange doing so. http://aleph-arts.org/art/lsa/lsa39/eng/1969.htm

This image really seemed to be an accurate reflection of the subject on the environment in which he lives in; about how he is caught up in situations that seem to be out of his control and that idea I see being represented through this picture.

There are quite a few reasons why I think this image interests me, but for the sake of time i'll narrow it down to one overall quality. This quality has to be the light and the way that it is very misleading in terms of the portrayal of the subject , as well as the way it really distorts the sense of time ( I took it at about two in the morning ).

The main thing that really attracted me to this image is how completely oblivious  the subject is to the camera; adding a sense of ambiguity to the situation.

I had never seen any of Gutman's work before, and to be quite honest I'm not sure if I liked a lot of his work that I viewed on the website. Although, even after looking through a majority of the photographs from all the artists listed on the site, I still found myself coming back to this one image. I think the main thing that really draws me to this image is the sense of displacement that occurs with the main two figures in the foreground to that of the structures and environmental details seen in the background. There is such a contrast between the two, that it causes a complete reconstruction of the feeling of the environment. If you were to remove the two figures, all you're left with is an image we have seen a hundred times before. http://masters-of-photography.com/G/gutmann/gutmann_visitors.html

I'm pretty disappointed that this site didn't contain any of Lee Friedlander's self portraits, which is the main reason why I've always had an interest in his art. This photograph is a portrait of fellow photographer, Garry Winogand. I guess what initially attracted me to this photo is the way that Friedlander has chosen to take the portrait. The very candidness to the shot, as well as a sense of purity that comes from Winogand because he seems to be looking past the camera, possibly observing the actions of Friedlander.   http://masters-of-photography.com/F/friedlander/friedlander_portraits_garry_winogrand_new_york_city_1957.html 

I've always been fascinated by the work of, Meatyard.His ability to portray a sense of connection  between subjects in his photographs is amazing and at a level that I don't feel a lot of other photographers reach.At first glance it may seem quite the contrary; both subjects, presumably mother and son, seem very disconnected  because of the positions he chose to photograph them in. However, I feel that that disconnection instead shows a level of dynamics in a relationship that is much purer and distinct than most other photographer's approach .  ---Meatyard--http://masters-of-photography.com/M/meatyard/meatyard_crypt.html

I guess i enjoy this image more for the conversation that took place before I took it. The image really seemed to reflect on my friend and his views on the constantly changing dynamics of his neighborhood.

This location seemed pretty peculiar to me when I first drove up to it, mainly because of the general abandonment that it seemed to embody. However, after I spent a few minutes there the signs that hang on the wall in the background became my main focus. They all mark the position of employees and their designated parking spot. There is no mention of position or sense of personal belonging. This is an idea that I feel is all too common in work environments today; the feeling of objectification in a  corporate infrastructure. 

I guess what really caught my attention in this photograph was how the American flag is shown. It is recognizable, but at the same time how it is folded over itself and hit by the light on the porch doesn't give it a sense of power and icon that i feel I am usually accustomed to. The flag seems to droop in front of its audience and distort its image as it hangs in a futile state of suspension.

I was really just immediately attracted to the aesthetic qualities of this multimedia piece. The colors, textures, and kitsch appearance really stood out in his series. 

    This image really spoke to me in terms of how we interact and proceed within our every day environments; a milieu that often seems to be overlooked and unappreciated at times. http://www.saulgallery.com/chronicle/liao_bqmb.html

If you guys haven't seen Ryan Trecartin's work before, do yourself a favor and check out his videos. This image really doesn't tell you too much about the style of video art that he creates. His work  really is something that i've never seen before; a combination of nonsensical imagery and absolute bizarreness.The style in which he critiques popular culture is pretty amazing. Down below is a link to the gallery and also a link to a video on youtube that I watched a couple months back.http://www.moca.org/museum/imagerotator.php?exid=439&id=1163-gallery                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR4sHDR-1XE_Video

The aftermath of having too much fun.This image not only represents that idea, but also the prospect of two people, who are relatively new friends, momentarily and unknowingly sharing a very intimate body of overlapping planes.

large bodies of black water always seem to flood even what seem to be the most secure structures that compose our lives. Often times the only way to completely embrace the uncertainty of these instances is to crawl out directly above the water on the withered and splintered planks that keep us dry.

self portrait- I was tired of being in that place, taking photographs.  As I laid awkwardly on that jail-bait table,I reflected on what exactly that building meant to my family's history and the intrinsic qualities, that at the moment, seemed too diaphanous for me to see.

To put it simply, ambiguity is huge to what attracts me visually. This photo does exactly that. http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/2010-09-23_gregory-crewdson/

After watching that  dvd in class about their work, I really gained a new level of respect for  what they did for so many years. Their photography is not only technically astounding, but also conceptually sound.This photograph resonates with me mainly because of the familiarity that the image has to me, yet at the same time that feeling allows for a deeper analysis to occur and adds another layer of visual information that isn't blatantly obvious. http://www.diacenter.org/exhibitions/introduction/76

I was kinda shocked to see that this was an image created by Ed Templeton. Not only is he a great artist, but he was also one of the biggest pioneers for skateboarding in the early 90s. The image in general is very beautiful, however I think the biggest interest for me was seeing who created it and the medium in which he chose( he usually does more mixed media stuff).http://www.icp.org/museum/exhibitions/perspectives-2010