I'm back! If you don't know what this is about and want to read my first blog post on this and the first set of 10 artists click here. Otherwise let's just get to it!
#40
Anja Niemi
Niemi, Anja. The Flower Room. 2016
When I saw this photo I was instantly drawn to it. Also, the series title reads "The Woman Who Never Existed," with a name like that who could resist looking into it further? In this series Niemi depicts an actress that only really exists when she's in front of an audience. Both artist and model, Niemi becomes the character for her images which gives her a more hands on and up front role in creation. She puts herself in elaborate clothing and backdrops to really set the stage... Get it? Her use of colors and textures are incredible and as a model she does a remarkable job portraying feelings of emptiness. A definite genius in my book.
A link to Anja Niemi's website can be found here.
#39
Richard Tuschman
Tuschman, Richard. The Potato Eaters. 2014.
Richard Tuschman tells real stories in a dream like, almost surreal way. In his series titled "One Upon a Time in Kazimierz," Tuschman tells the story of a tailor in a ghetto neighborhood of Krakow, Poland during the 1930's. He uses real models but places them in miniature sets that he creates. In doing so he creates the impossible while telling real life stories that have impact.
More of Richard Tuschman's work can be found here.
#38
Karen Rosenthal
Rosenthal, Karin. Reverie. 1988.
It goes without saying that Karin Rosenthal's work is stunning. In her series "Nudes in Water," from which the above photo can be found, she transforms the nude figure by posing it in the most unexpected ways. The reflective and elastic properties of the water are in stark contrast with the smooth and even skin. The nude becomes abstracted in Rosenthal's work, mimicking nature through raw form.
I encourage you to check out the rest of Karen Rosenthal's work here.
#37
Ryann Ford
Ford, Ryann. Walker Lake, Nevada - U.S. 95
I am obsessed with Ryann Ford's series "Rest Stops - Vanishing Relics of the American Roadside," in which she tells the story of forgotten rest stops off from major U.S. highways. All the photos from this series have inviting colors, dynamic lighting, and a picnic table as the general point of focus. The photos make you nostalgic for what once was and curious as to who might have stopped there to take a break from the road.
Ford's website is located here.
#36
Kyohei Abe
Abe, Kyohei. imaginary scape: untitled#9. 2009.
Vastly different than the other photographers mentioned, Kyohei Abe sets up his photos meticulously. Very precise and calculated he views his photos as designs. He strives to create very clean photographs that have "ambiguous and fictitious environments." Personally his photographs off-put me, there is an emptiness that the negative space in his photos make me feel. The fact that two small (aggressively saturated in color) planes against a neutral background can unsettle me is exactly why I admire Abe's work. Even through simplicity he can create a photograph that moves someone and that is highly remarkable.
Kyohei Abe's website can be found here.
#35
Svjetlana Tepavcevic
Tepavcevic, Svjetlana. Means of Reproduction no 2011.
This piece doesn't need an explanation as to what the reference is to, however the way Tepavcevic glorifies the reproductive organs through different ways nature reproduces itself is classy as well as beautiful. Each piece is lit roughly the same way against the same color background as well, creating a beautiful aesthetic and platform for her expression.
#34
Bear Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick, Bear. Ashley 1. 2013.
Every subject that Bear Kirkpatrick photographs has the most intriguing eyes. The expressions of his models coupled with their clothing and the walls that he puts them in front of for his series "Wallportraits" makes each photo a masterpiece. Kirkpatrick seems to have a way to match his model and subject matter in a cosmic pairing that results in photos you can't take your eyes off from.
More of Bear Kirkpatrick's stunning work can be found here.
#33
Siri Kaur
Kaur, Siri. Charan, Portland, Maine. 2005.
Siri Kaur possesses a skill that I admire deeply. That skill is the ability to get a subject to make the most plain "them" face. This is something that I hope to develop over time. Kaur seems to get her subjects to let the wall down, something most have trouble doing with even their closest companions. Each person in her series "Strangers" lets go somehow, whether it be a facial expression, a weird habit, etc. these people so willingly give themselves up to Kaur. I admire this style of photography greatly and hope to someday be able to employ it in my own work.
Catch Siri Kaur's work here.
#32
Marina Edith Calvo
Edith Calvo, Marina. Vibrazione Fatale. 2013
To some, Marina Edith Calvo may be too sinister in subject matter, but for me, her "La Realta' Surreale," series is a fabulously expressive body of work about sexuality and standards of beauty. Her dark style is haunting, and the characters in her photographs do not seem like people you'd want to meet. However if you look carefully you'll see her allusions to modern societal pressures and stigmas about femininity and beauty.
#31
Luigi Ghirri
Ghirri, Luigi. Salisburgo. 1977
Luigi Ghirri is one of those photographers that you look at their work and just think how you never would have thought to do what he did but somehow it just makes so much sense. His photos are calm and mysterious, like something is off but you can't quite put your finger on it. Extremely progressive for his time Ghirri pushed boundries and made a lasting mark on contemporary photography.
Check back for another 10 artists on the next post! Thanks for reading.