New Objectivity - 25/11/14

This morning was a bit of a surprise as instead of Matthew leading the lesson we had David Oates, the layout of the lesson was a bit different so this blog post will have a slightly different layout to the rest. The session was about "New Objectivity" when you hear this word you should think of the Bescher's work, very deadpan lighting (ie no contrast/ shadows) and incredibly impersonal pieces of work.

Andreas Gursky

• Elevated viewpoint
• The viewer is not involved in the landscape
• The Rhein (most expensive photograph auctioned)
• Simple/ minimalistic
• Fabricated on Photoshop
• Commentary on capitalism

Michael Wolf

• Originally an editorial photographer for Stern Magazine
• Hong Kong tower blocks - never ending
• Tokyo compression taken in underground train network 

Joachim Brohm

• Slightly reminiscent of Walker Evans and William Eggleston
• Shoots banal scenes
• Less formal than Gursky  

William Eggleston

• Master of colour photography
• Famous for taking only one frame
• Known as the "photographer of the South"

John Davies

• Shoots around the North of England
• Industrial and working class images
• Interested in the idea of old architect meeting modern

I think all of these photographers create interesting and inspiring bodies of work, they manage to make the mundane look artistic. Andreas Gursky's work shows straight, structured architecture within nature as well as man made and is able to make a remarkable comparison between the two.