Backstage is a recently shot series by the French photographer Luc Braquet with a strong and interesting documentary quality. Read more about him in an earlier posted article on the Warmenhoven & Venderbos blog and see for the full series his portfolio website.
Photos by Luc Braquet | Luc Braquet portfolio website |
David Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, known especially for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment.
Beginning with his A Treatise of Human Nature (1739), Hume strove to create a total naturalistic “science of man” that examined the psychological basis of human nature. In stark opposition to the rationalists who preceded him, most notably Descartes, he concluded that desire rather than reason governed human behaviour, saying: “Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.”
Colors of Shadow is the first conceptual photo series which artist Hiroshi Sugimoto photographed in color and it shows his continuous interrogation of photography’s intrinsic nature; of light entering into a darkened or “dimmed chamber”, however, the light source remains out of view. The work is minimalist in nature. The photographic field is emptied of any superfluous detail, allowing stillness for meditation.
Colors of Shadow seems also to mirror the white cube, the gallery space, in its perpetual rhythm to lay bare its white walls to receive the work of art. Here the works reflect its surroundings; the detail is focused on what the viewer’s eye does not generally pay attention to. Brought into focus are the corners of the space, its ceiling and walls with different hues of whites due to the slightest alteration in lighting, and their cast shadows.
Subtle play of light and shadow as well as spatial composition are central in this work by artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. He explains it as following:
”I’ve learned many things from using my hands. While I’m still not sure about the nature of light—whether it’s waves or particles—I’ve learned something about shadows. Trying to devise a way of observing shadows, this project escalated into a major undertaking, requiring an entire hilltop penthouse in a Tokyo apartment. When surfaces receive light, the light effects vary according to the angle of exposure. Selecting three distinct angles—90°, 55°, and 35°—I had the walls surfaced using traditional Japanese shikkui (plaster finishing), which absorbs and reflects light most evenly. In the morning light, the shadows play freely over the surfaces, now appearing, now vanishing. On rainy days, they take on a deeper, more evocative cast. I’ve only just begun my observations, but already I’ve discovered a sublime variety in shadow hues.”
Photos from top to bottom:
Colors of shadow c1020
Colors of shadow c1031
Colors of shadow c1028
Colors of shadow c1023
Colors of shadow c1019
Photos by: Hiroshi Sugimoto | Hiroshi Sugimoto website | source: Marian Goodman Gallery
Sam Samore creates fascinating large scale conceptual photographs. Appropriative practices, which are established by artists such as Cindy Sherman, are a key element in his works. His photos are an exploration of privacy and myth in contemporary society.
Britany Salsbury (Artforum) about his work:
Samore’s photographs are characterized by open-ended and evocative narrative compositions that are reminiscent of film stills. Through the contrast between the straightforwardness of their artifice and the impossibility of explaining the situations they portray, Samore’s photographs reveal a fragmented and constructed subject that invites interrogation of gender, popular culture, and identity.
Britany Salsbury gives a clear analyse of Sam Samore’s work in the following quote: “The Dark Suspicion#1 (See top photo), for instance, shows a young woman whose vacant stare and decorated femininity (heavy makeup, etc.) make her resemble the subject of a fashion advertisement. The model is only visible, however, through a gap between two other figures, whose showy lipstick and starkly pale skin seem virtually identical to her own. Although it would be easiest to rationalize the two doppelgangers as mirror reflections of the female figure, such a reading is impossible, given their position in the photograph: between the woman and the viewer. This manipulation of space eschews predictable or concrete explanation and frustrates the viewer’s impulse to impose purpose or narrative on figures whose functions might have otherwise seemed clear.”
In the above video by Kiki Allgeier , Sam Samore explains some more about his works. Samore’s role within LM100 (Le Meridien) was to help identify and chronicle the narratives inherent in the guest experience, from his contributions to the stories included in Le Méridien’s 50 Words story collection to his role as an artist behind a series of keys in the Unlock Art collection.
Photos from top to bottom:
The Dark Suspicion #1, 2011
Allegories of Beauty (Incomplete) #108, #44, #63, 1990s
The Dark Suspicion #5, 2011
Allegories of Beauty (Incomplete) #47, #10, #50, #8,1990s
Photos by: Sam Samore | Video by: Kiki Allgeier | Source: Britany Salsbury |
Moving people is a fascinating short art movie by Vladimir Shcherban, the director of Belarus Free Theatre. This is his first film work where he presents actors with whom he has collaborated in the underground theatre. Human emotion, individual identities, movement, light and fragments of the human body are the elements which tell the tales of the 6 short stories in this film.
Vladimir Shcherban about the film:
“The idea to make this video came to my mind when i found the illuminant in my temporary loft appartment in New York City. My friend finally bought a camera for saved money and helped me with my film. The film production was carried out in the room of one of New York City hotels.”
Video and photos by: Vladimir Shcherban | Belarus Free Theatre website |