Jeff Wall

Insomnia, 1994, Transparency in lightbox, Cinematographic photograph 

Jeff Wall has been credited to have introduced the world of photography to the contemporary Art field from the early 80s.  His work appears to be documentary photography when in reality it is usually set up through actors, props, sets and thought out lighting giving him the role of director as there would be for film making. This approach is successful as it signifies the theme of tableau photography of displaying a narrative within the photograph. He also covers urban environments in his work and these themes are often presented in a size and manor a nineteenth century painting would be.

His image ‘Insomnia’ shows a set replicated to look like Jeff Wall’s kitchen in his studio. The composition is reminiscent to a renaissance painting as the angles and positioning represents the narrative.  The composition and tight clumsy positioning of the furniture suggests the man’s state of discomfort and physiological condition as well as showing signs of the characters previous interaction with the set.  

 Wall’s signature is images printed on transparencies over light boxes, it apparently was inspired by back-lit advertisements which echo his style of directing his images as are advertisements directed.  I like how his images suggest a situation and the circumstances that led it to be are based on the audience’s imagination. 

Yohji Yamamoto - Fashionably Limitless

Yohji Yamamoto, 2001-02, fall/winter ready-to-wear collection

I went to see his exhibition at the V&A this week with an old friend from London College of Fashion. It was good i have to say, i love how he never produces collections according to popular present trends and how he usually follows an avant-garde style constructing abnormal and fascinatingly weird garments that really capture your attention. His unique style often mixes old and new trends together and the use of draped black silhouettes echo throughout his collections creating a sense of surrealism. There’s no doubt about it he’s good at designing let’s say, ‘different’ garments no matter how impractical they are.

To be honest, no matter how much I admire his style. I just don’t see how anyone can be seen walking down the street wearing one of his garments without getting a few glances. I actually see his items as pieces of artwork. Something to be looked at behind a glass cage or to be photographed and exhibited. Don’t get me wrong, I love how some people really like to express themselves through what they wear totally standing out from the crowd. It’s just a sad thing that not everyone appreciates that and its designers like Yamamoto that encourages people to think outside the box because the reality is that there doesn’t seem to be much of a line between fashion and art anymore and to be frank, I like it.
The exhibition finishes in early July so i recommend anyone go see it in their free time.

Salazar, L. (ed.) (2011) Yohji Yamamoto, UK: V & A Publishing.

Yohji Yamamoto's Website

an american, The American

Parade - Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955

Having lived in switerzerland with his wealthy family at the time of WWII as a Jew fearing Nazism Robert Frank grew up feeling repressed and introverted. From a young age he was drawn to photography and design and in his 20s he immigrated to America and started working as a fashion photographer for harpers’ bazaar. He’s mainly acknowledged for his book The Americans which is noted to be the best photography book by far. It basically documents America as it was at the period. The REAL America often being harsh, tough, brutal, patriotic and honest which even covered division between class and race. The beauty of his ability depicted the harshness of reality and recording what is there, as it is, honestly, spontaneously even, without any artificial, fake aspects visible is what makes his work so iconic and what which i find so captivating. His images represent America as he experienced it as he became an American. Since it was known as ‘the land of dreams’ i love how this book is just the pure truth and nothing more as we begin to understand that period of time in that country and how those dreams were to become.

Frank, R. (1959) The Americans, New York: Grove Press

Purchase The Americans

John Stezaker

Film Portrait (Incesion) V, 2005, 19.5 x 14cm, Collage

I went to see Stezaker's exhibition at the White Chapel gallery last week just before it ended. Unfortunately i wasn't able to take any pictures as we weren't allowed but thankfully a lot of his images are accessible online. I have to say, at first glance i was thinking 'is this really it?' but after walking around i actually started to like what i was seeing. I mean, they ARE just pictures layered onto each other but the way he does that fits so well both in composition and sometimes scale. The kinds of feeling you get looking at his images are a bit disturbing since there’s an element of slicing through the faces. Just the cut of layered picture made me feel like that. But it works well artistically and i actually think it looks fascinating. I especially like the fact that his work consists of vintage film stills and postcards; the idea of mixing old images to create a fresh meaning through precise juxtapositions. I’ve always been into photomontages and collages which is perhaps why i really like his style since it’s a new approach of photomontage to me.

I stumbled across this advertising campaign for a Lithuanian bookshop called Mint Vinetu which in some way reminded me of john Stezaker’s style in the idea of an image completing another image.

John Stezaker at the White Chapel Gallery

John Stezaker's Artist Profile from The Saatchi Gallery

The Fame Game

What really was a desperate attempt to get back into the market after major bankruptcy; Polaroid appointed Lady GaGa as creative director just last year. She's doing quite well for herself celebrity-wise I have to say. Pretty much everyone knows who she is and what she’s famous for (her ridiculous outfits) so i see why Polaroid was seeking a new distinctive celebrity to help promote their name and get some publicity but the thing’s she’s coming up with like camera sunglasses and portable printers. Are they really necessary?
Why would you carry a portable printer around with you? “A printer that i actually throw in my purse all the time” she says. I highly doubt that. I have read Susan Sontag’s ‘On photography’ in a section where she states a photograph being an physical object rather than a digital format popular in our culture at the moment (such as flickr, photobucket, facebook) but I just don’t understand why you would desperately need a photograph so bad that you would need to print it the same minute you take it instead of going to a chemist or professional printer to get it done later on. It’s more of a gadget for someone with spare money like GaGa herself who would buy and use it once or twice and realise its actually pretty pointless.
As for the camera sunglasses; an interesting idea but I still don’t really see the point of it. Pretty much every phone has a camera built into it already and it just seems more convenient to use your phone as it’s easy to view, delete and edit your image. I mean, even my Nintendo DS has a camera built into it. So why pay hundreds of pounds on these photographic sunglasses?
I DO like how photography is so accessible now through phones and hand-held video game
consoles but i think maybe Lady GaGa’s idea of photographic sunglasses is a bit too much.

Lady Gaga and Polaroid


Polaroid Instant Mobile Printer