I know I know, what the hell with that headline man, well it’s not what you think it is but it does stand as a fairly literal description of a rather epic photo shoot by Tadao Cern involving blowing some hard air at his subjects.
Casual cool collides with good looks in the photography portfolio of Alex Aristei. Looking at all of those skinny cool people made me feel a little inadequate and self conscious but Aristei has a knack for making it all look natural.
Cities stand silently serene forever immortalized in stunning black and white as captured by the remarkable eye of Polish photographer Martin Stavars. Breathtaking images.
“In a world desperate for uniqueness and originality, the greatest irony may be that we ultimately succumb to “following the herd”. Whether we like it or not, we the “sheeple” have become fervent disciples of a globalized economy. Sheep Nation a series of photographic works by Montreal-based contemporary artist Davide Luciano, explores this fertile ground through a characteristically satirical yet compassionate lens.
This large-scale photographic series includes 23 intimate and introspective portraits of sheeple. Behind every mask lies a personal truth, an innocence, a sense of individualism, a longing to be seen and heard. The 6 mises en scène depict people unable to think for themselves. Allowing the influences of different forms of media to undermine their own identity and wander mindlessly in herds, like sheep.
With the help of a special effects make-up artist to create prosthetic masks, the 3 hour transformation began. The use of product branding in each scene puts forth the idea that we live in a world where we are slaves to consumerism and where advertising has us chasing a need to be accepted.
Davide Luciano is a conceptual and fine-art photographer/filmmaker based in Montreal, Canada; He creates large-scale photographic prints that are cinematic in scope and compelling in content. Every photograph is cast and staged meticulously, adding to the intriguing narrative and sense of satire that surrounds these stunning photographs. The work is detailed and vibrant with amazing surrealist qualities that put the imagination to the test.
Davide has alternated between street projects and choreographed tableaux to create suggestive bodies of work that consciously aim to build and communicate an alternative kind of photographic truth.
His recent series ‘Potholes’ (2010) has been exhibited throughout North America, having had solo and group exhibitions in cities such as New York, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, Kentucky. He has won numerous awards, including an award of excellence from the Guggenheim, and his work has been featured in countless international publication including Vanity Fair, Kurv Australia, Le Monde and The Telegraph to name a few.”
Sheep Nation will be exhibited at Pentimento Fine Art Gallery May 3rd to June 3rd, 2012
There is some new work up since I last dropped in at Atelier Olschinsky and it is of course interesting, unique and purely delicious to the eyes.
“This project was created with the same spirit that america was founded on. Our intentions are to connect everyone in america through the lens of this camera and social networking sites. We can’t do this without you. We want to tell your story and show your city or town through photographs of you, and people you know. As we travel around america looking for people and places to shoot you will be able to keep track of where we are going and help us decide where we go next. Join us in our journey by liking our facebook to get yourself photographed by us.
An extra special thanks to Brandon Rein, Scotty Hoffman and Trevor Atwater.”
A truly glorious project by Ian Ruhter.
Linkage:
twitter.com/#!/silverandlight
facebook.com/pages/Ian-Ruhter-Photography/159583283699
ianruhter.tumblr.com/
It’s time to feel the free spirit of photographer Anabel Navarro as it is delivered by way of beautiful people and sun-dappled washed out settings.
Photographer Kim Høltermand has released yet another austere and beautiful series of images titled Monochronos. It must take a lot of study to discover and capture such architectual beauty. Excellent work as always.
Photographer Daniel Castañeda is a master at capturing a lonely, contemplative, slightly eery yet etherial mood. He tends to lean towards black and white for the purpose of emotional affect.
Photographer Alex Prager has a unique style that harkens back to a time when the right fit, cigarette or hairstyle could make just about anyone look famous so long as the camera captured them at just the right moment in an act of authentic cool.
There is a kind of silently austere obscurity about Noah Kalina’s photographs. His subjects, be them human or otherwise are left to their own devices and presented in a way that the viewer must confront them on their own terms. In short, it’s photography in the raw.
“Photography for me is much more than the act of “taking pictures.” I use photography as a way of literally opening my eyes to the surrounding world… and that particular perspective carries over to even when I’m not photographing…
So often we either live in the future or live in the past … that is to say, we’re either worrying about what comes next or we’re re-living trivial moments out of the past. Consequently, we’re blind to what’s happening around us!
The act of photographing forces you to live in the present and concentrate on “the here-and-now”… a very good thing in and of itself… Others achieve this through meditation and religion….Photography is a way of achieving this state of mind… and be creative at the same time… a great “two-fer”!
Flickr is an inspiration. It’s nice to see there are lots of other people like me out there.
My thoughts and commentary concerning some of my photos are included in the introductory section of my sets entitled, “New York Streetscapes,” “NY in the 80s,” “WTC” and “NJ Meadowlands”. Here are links to these sets:”
www.flickr.com/photos/stevensiegel/sets/72157600382916817/
www.flickr.com/photos/stevensiegel/sets/72157626376913418/
www.flickr.com/photos/stevensiegel/sets/72157600382734172/
www.flickr.com/photos/stevensiegel/sets/72157600383109538/
Wow, this guy is a lawyer. But he is also a damn fine photographer and that makes for an interesting blend.
Photographer Jasper James’s series of ‘City Silhouettes‘ has been out there a while but I stumbled across it again and was re-inspired. It’s a clever and beautiful series of images that are hard to forget once they’ve been seen.
“As a youth in North Carolina; I begun my path as an abstract painter and figurative sculptor; my motivation grew from my interest of psychophysical effects of chroma. Photography holds all the intrinsic values of all the other arts; but differers in the fact the it’s the foundation of existence. My creations are the exploration of my inner facilities; in the pursuit of contemporary knowledge expressing “original thoughts”. “Nothing can exist without the photon, and every aspect is controlled by it’s usage””
His recent series of underwater nudes are totally stunning.
Le Carnet Noir is the conceptual container of Nacho Ormaechea, freelance Art Director and Graphic Designer working in Paris. There is a notion of escaping through the mind during the daily reality that we sometimes have to suffer through.
Photographer Jim Naughten removes exterior subterfuge and places his subjects squarely within frame to meet the viewer face-to-face and in the raw. It’s stark but somehow a new way of looking at said object or person is brought forth for the viewer to consider.
Tod Seelie is one of those rare photographers who just looks at the world differently. It’s not just about capturing an interesting image. I think it boils down to a unique matter of perspective. He just sees and looks at things differently than the average bear. His portfolio speaks to this rare gift.
Slot. K is a Taiwan talent whose work draws inspiration from fashion, the 70s and the ever-dramatic combination of Black and White. It all comes together in a memorable surf through the Flickr Photostream.
