Random Inspiration

I have recently been inspired by the works of Frederic Fontenoy, a photographer based out of Paris France. He is known for a series that he did in the late 80's early 90's called metamorphose which deals with abstract blurred bodies during cart wheels in nature setting. I was not to fond of that series but with this new work of black n white erotic poses of women. It reminds me of Helmut Newton but with an edge.

I was trying to find more writings about his current work but on his site I found this written in French.

Regardez, ceci est son corps.

Humain Trop humain Fleur

de peau ou chairs a vif , ses

sombres mysteres

inlassablement sont traques.

Et l' Oeil de hater le retour

du refoule. de scruter notre

part maudite.

I first stumbled across his Imagery in Eyemazing magazing.

Death in Photography.

Death in Photography has been a popular element in Photography, photojournalist capture death in the obscenities of war. Fashion photographers such as Guy Bourdin have recreated death in their hyperreal imagery. Death was documented frequently during the Civil War. I have also wondered why such praise over the image of the thantos. I remember watching The People Verses Larry Flint, and in the movie he was speaking to a crowd after the courts of Cincinnati, had charged him with obscenity charges to his then up in coming magazine called Hustler. Larry Flint was telling how hypocritical the media is to be portraying and showing imagery of the dead soldiers of the Vietnam War, and then to call his work obscene. I still find that to be the case wear our government is responsible for sending many young men to war and many to be killed and then our media glorifies their death by draping an American Flag over their coffin.

I can understand from the reading how death was so common in the 1800's that it was impossible not to document and exploit. However today where is the celebration of life or the article that Life takes a Holiday. I like what supreme court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote best on the issue of death, " We have got the fruit of Creation now, and need not trouble ourselves with the core. Every conceivable object of nature and Art will soon scale off it's surface for us.

Body as Landscape

In brief perspective Andreas Bitesnich is a master photographer who often photographs the body as landscape or makes pure abstraction out of the body. His body of work often creates wonderful visual forms rather than implying the body as a tool to sell clothes. Many fashion photographers today go to great lengths in displaying the body as sexy in fashion ads. For an example, Steven Klein often has models in a lesser amount of clothes in order to get a fashion campaign to come across. Some may regard his imagery as sexually charged.

Ectoplasmic Portrait

The first image is what I consider to be a pictorialist portrait in which was echos the time of the 1800's when photographers tried to go for a soft look and long exposure. It is suppose to emulate that raw feeling and early documentary quality.

The second photograph is what I consider to be my ectoplasmic portrait of a lady named Raquel. It is most resembled to spirit photography that took place in the 1860's. My technique was non digital using a holga camera that delivered me this double exposed image, and light leaks that happened through mistakes. I tried to go for the ghost coming through the window aesthetic.