Artist Lecture: Alec Soth

I felt the importance of this lecture at this point in my senior year was almost too perfect. At a time when personally as a photography student about the brave the world outside of the academic walls, this particular lecture was uplifting. Its amazing to listen to artists talk about artists that inspire there work. Alec Soth was great because for the 1st almost 20-30 minutes he talked exclusively about the people he admired. The people who's work he simply tries to emulate.
These are the names of artists, writers, and photographers he names in his presentation (hopefully i didn't miss any)
Lee Freidlander
Robert Frank
David Hockney
William Eggleston
Richard Prince
Elliot Erwitt
Gregory Crewdson
Ira Glass
Duane Michaels
W. Eugine Smith
Hamish Fulton
Andy Goldsworthy
Richard Long
Joal Sternfeld
John Gosage
Paul Gram
Tom Wolf

For me this further just solidified the need for research and understanding of the work that people have done before you. and the work being done around you. For me the knowledge/the background that Soth had in the work that he was doing just elevated it all for me.
Soth talked about the pure importance that was just to shoot. Shoot anything. The idea of story telling for him was a continuous goal. An almost unattainable one. This reminded me of the ART OF FAILURE. The idea that through the continuous failures to capture your original goal you come up with work that is something entirely different, and maybe even better. There is an ultimate longing in his work. You could almost say seduction within his imagery. Soth says this is just the nature if the medium. Photography has its own conventions. It is made up of nostalgia, longing, sadness. For me this further echos this idea of a certain failure within the medium. That that is part of the aesthetic.
Soth talked about Egglestons "Democratic forest". The idea of shooting democratically, all images the same. With the Internet as it is today, Soth says it may now be a Jungle. He talked as though he as a writer. Working in a stream of conscienceless. Almost like a photographic brainstorm. Working through and wondering within the imagery is where the series and work emerged. I found this to be very inspiring.
He touched on the idea that yes anyone can shoot an amazing image. But one image can't necessarily set you apart. It is the goal of a series, a book, a collection that makes one artist or photographer stand alone.

1/28 Inspriational Thought.

It wasn't until this year, my final year at VCU that I realized how truly important it was to be able to write and communicate your thoughts onto paper, in a conversation, or in a speech was. to be honest language has not always been my strongest subject. Talking is one thing. Casual personable conversation comes very easy to me. Even being able to participate in a critique and talk about other peoples work seemed to be a breeze. But this year I began to feel how weak I was when it came to writing, and being able to collect my thoughts into a condensed seemingly educated paper I was stuck. Even writing emails that where professional was a concern. This blog, it was crippling, and frankly it effected my grade. Anxiety is not something I am used to. In fact it is a bit of a stranger, I consider myself a confident person. For me it wasn't about finding the time, or forgetting to post, it was the idea that I had to WRITE.

So I took it upon myself this winter semester to take a class that required writing and this semester I am taking two writing intensive courses. It has occured to me that it might just be about getting the experience and confidence and practice to kick the anxiety. I have started keeping a regular journal and have started to work on my artist statement regularly once a week.

For me its about taking control.

1/25 Artist: Spencer Tunick

Title- Ohio 1 (Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland) 2004
c-print mounted between plexi
h: 71 x w: 89.25 in / h: 180.34 x w: 226.7 cm

Title- Montreal 3 (Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal) 2001
c-print mounted between plexi
h: 71 x w: 89.25 in / h: 180.34 x w: 226.7 cm

Title- Mexico City 7 (Zócalo, MUCA/UNAM Campus) 2007
c-print mounted between plexi
h: 37.5 x w: 30 in / h: 95.25 x w: 76.2 cm

Title-Ireland 3 (Dublin) 2008
c-print mounted between plexi
h: 71 x w: 89.25 in / h: 180.34 x w: 226.7 cm


http://www.spencertunick.com/index.html

Spencer Tunick is a photographer that i discovered in the most unexpected place, my human sexuality class. We watched his documentary "Nude World". I was surprised that when working with such a large number of nude models, and sensitive issue like public nudity he wasn't more understanding of cultures and local beliefs. To be quite honest his whole disposition was quite off putting. He was defensive and arrogant.When asked to defend his work, or even to answer questions about it his overused response was that it was "ART". His lack of language, and inability to communicate was made me second guess his work, and him as an artist.

Beside that, if i had never seen the film, if i had experienced his work in a gallery or even just on the internet, or in a magazine, I would have had a different take on the photographs. They are truly breathtaking. The flow, and toneality of the bodies creates a landscape that humanizes everyone in the image. The people transform into a single mass/shape. The natural forms takeover the unnatural setting, as to take them back. The photographs capture how beautiful the human form is.