Still life art has an ancient artistic tradition. Still life paintings have been found on the walls of Egyptian tombs; still life frescoes were uncovered on the walls of Roman villas in Herculaneum and Pompeii. Although the popularity of the still life has waxed and … Keep readingOlivia Parker
NUDES NUDES NUDES A week ago, on 6 May 2007, approximately eighteen thousand men and women of various ages showed up in the Zócalo, Mexico City’s principal square, just before dawn. At a signal, they took off all their clothes. Another signal, they all saluted. … Keep readingSpencer Tunick
She was born in the spring of 1907 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Her parents named her Elizabeth Miller, though she went through life using her nickname ‘Lee.’ Her career–in fact, her entire life–could be described as remarkable. It could, with equal accuracy, also be described … Keep readingLee Miller
Peter Henry Emerson was a child of privilege. He was born in Cuba in 1856; his mother was a member of British society, his father a wealthy American. His cousin was the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. His youth was divided between Cuba and New England. … Keep readingPeter Henry Emerson
Imagine Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland filmed through the lens of Alfred Hitchcock. Imagine the story of Cinderella as interpreted by Edgar Allan Poe. If you can imagine that, then perhaps you’ll have some insight into Anna Gaskell’s photography. Gaskell’s work is a rather personal exploration … Keep readingAnna Gaskell
Embrace the Blur. That could be Tuscon photographer Ken Rosenthal’s motto. Where most of us generally try to reduce blurring, Rosenthal relies on it. His blur, however, is an expressive blur. It’s a blur that serves a purpose. Several purposes. Rosenthal earned a BA in … Keep readingKen Rosenthal
He has been called “the hottest war photographer on the contemporary scene.” He’s been accused of ‘war porn.’ He’s been the subject of an Academy Award-nominated documentary film. He’s won the the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award, the World Press Photo award (twice), the Leica Award (twice), … Keep readingJames Nachtwey
The work of Joel-Peter Witkin is best described as photography of the grotesque. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it can only be described as photography of the grotesque. Everything about his work is grotesque: the subject matter, the models, his printing … Keep readingJoel-Peter Witkin
Esther Bubley isn’t a familiar name to most photographers. Nonetheless, she was a quietly revolutionary figure. She wasn’t a revolutionary so much by choice; rather Bubley was a product of her time, and her time was one of radical change for women. She was born … Keep readingEsther Bubley
If you’ve ever taken a nature photograph–budding trees in spring, fallen leaves in the autumn, bare-limbed trees covered in snow, a lichen-covered stone–you owe a debt to Eliot Porter. Virtually all modern nature photography mimics the style created and developed by Porter. The photographs you … Keep readingEliot Porter