assignment #1

 

 

                                            

 

Mr. Lee Friedlander and Mr. André Kértez (assignement # 1)

I'd bet that most people would not purposefully frame or compose a scenic photograph to include the insides of their car. Influential American photographer-artist Lee Friedlander (born in 1934) does not ignore the “plastic, glass and metal forms....in which come clearly into clever play.” (B.G) The picture above is representing, in a nutshell, a big slice of American culture. The clarity definition of the tree may be in part attributed to the dry atmosphere of the desert, in which enhances a majestic and futuristic sense of a surreal composition. Friedlander's art turns into metaphors;  the front window headed towards the dark mountains and the side-rear-view mirror narrows into the sun’s reflection in a black space. That black space is a phenomenal trick adding dimension to context by suggesting cosmic space, another American frontier. The biblical-named Joshua tree mimics a greeting hand in its authentic natural beauty and offers the only detailed texture; it seems restrained in a concrete ring. The modern man invention, the automobile, frames the scenic subject exposing two contrasting visuals worlds. The car is not only a reality in the voyage to reach this Mars-like-landscape; it is the only form revealing the strength of the sunlight (seen in the sharp edge shadow on the door). The thick creamy car-forms create perspective for a depth upon the sparse landscape, the background. The car is an integral part of the composition and we get a sense that it is a fantastic and deliberate prop. Furthermore, the vehicle looks like the inside of a spaceship or that the car-paneling is really attached to the camera, like a new kind of space-aged camera accessory and invention! Wow! If so, I know who the operator is and its inventor. Cheers to Mr. Lee Friedlander!

 

Here is a classic style example of Lee Friedlander's mastery in new art of photography. It is a unique and revealing self-portrait. His shadow-figure portrays movement (he had to be still for this shot), created by the diagonal lines of his bent left arm extending to his right-arm elbow, and in contrapposto (looks like a fine archer's stance). The shadow of his left hand infused to his odd-shaped head in which repeatedly tricks the viewer's eye. Is he scratching his head? Is he looking through a telescope? As our eyes slide down the silhouette we can identify his photographer-bag, and we are assured that he is truly the hunter, in quest to capture thee shot. In front of Friedlander's lens, there is a boring mess of dry and dusty rocks and weed. He casts his shadow upon this dullness to conjure a bright framing background and a foreground of wacky internal organs. His head is crowned like a trophy. “Some of Lee’s shots fills the frame with stuff, but it’s controlled chaos, there is a thread holding everything together.”(V.G.)  This fine visual self-representation with the bag-form, along with the significance of his artistic contribution to photography, suggests to me that the trekking Lee Friedlander is the Johnny Appleseed of photography. The best part is, that we find delight in the quirks of his compositions, which reveal that he truly enjoys it. Thank you Mr. Friedlander.

Work Cited

Goldberg, Vicki. "Lee Friedlander's Driving Vision." Vanity Fair 538 (2005): 166. MasterFILE       Premier. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

Gognik, Blake.washingtonpost.com. Oct. 31, 2010. Web. Jan. 23, 2014

The-Photographers.atgetphotography.Web. Jan. 23, 2014

André Kertesz's (1894-1985) pictures are romantic in the sense that they idealize the reality of everyday life while stirring passion. Although distinctly different, both of the two photographs above (urban-figure and the still-life) invoke peaceful intimate space in tune with repetitive linear curves (a visual accent of nurture). In concept they both prompt enquiry. Is the poor old  and maimed man always alone? Does somebody care for him? In the other picture where a staged looking potted flower and a high hung male hat nudge the viewer to wonder if the lovers are home? Are they upstairs resting?  Kertesz draws the viewer in his world to delve in compassion for the subject, within a mastery of visual aesthetic.(B.B) “His lyrical, spontaneous pictures of everyday life...focused on capturing the essence of a moment.” The pot-and-stairs picture is theatrical, dramatized by high contrast. The urban photo is candid although it was taken 2 years before Kertesz got a hand held small camera (a Leica 1 the first 35mm). Kertesz was able to embody the spirit of his subjects including those that are absent from his pictures but part of the concept.

Works Cited

Kertész, André. Britannica Biographies (2012): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.