Lincoln Clarkes

"Within a five-year period, beginning in 1996, Lincoln Clarkes shot four hundred different photographs of women with drug addictions in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The project began when Clarkes took a picture of his long-time friend, Leah, “shootingup” against the backdrop of a Calvin Klein billboard starring Kate Moss in the autumn of that year."- Paul Ugor in his essay Heroines Essay: Lincoln Clarkes, Photography, and the Women of Downtown Eastside Vancouver.

 Clarkes' photography portrays women in several different social situations. Not only does his photography of the 80s and 90s portray women on drugs in the streets, but it also sheds light on high society, namely the rich and famous. Everyday life for people in different economic and social situations varies drastically in Clarkes photographs. Through his eyes, there is disorder and deterioration everywhere. Money equals happiness for most of these people (hence his worldwide green eyes website). Additionally, Clarkes graveyard photographs may represent a commentary on the blurring distinction between life and death for some people. 

Check out the rest of his works @ worldwidegreeneyes.com

John Stanmeyer

I have an odd thing against photojournalists and the works they produce. National Geographic photographers do shoot wonderful documentary images, but that is as far as I ever allow their credibility to extend in the art photography realm. Why do I rank them so low in comparison to their artistic counterparts? Anyways, I came across this image by National Geographic photographer John Stanmeyer, and I cannot help but to include it in a post. It is a fantastic image. It has everything that I am interested in lately... Ancient gold and blue caves with dripping phallic-like stalactites that are lit up by a thick ray of overexposed (contemporary neon) light, and iridescent waters. This image would be a perfect fit for this blog if two things changed. One, the National Geographic tag on the artist must go in order to gain (or lose for some people) credibility. And two, that floating person shouldn't be a middle-aged overweight man in billowing orange swim shorts.. instead maybe a naked person or someone floating amongst the materials of a long dress? Or maybe its funny that the swimmer is probably another National Geographic trekkie.

This image is from John Stanmeyer's Sacred Waters Series for National Geographic. You can tell that it is documentary photography, but some of the images are pretty interesting. The collection displays cultures and religions that worship water. I read a book once on the molecular make-up of water and how it changes form under different circumstances. For example, under a microscope the molecular pattern of the water was complex and beautiful when classical music was played near it. It changed design completely when it was blessed, or sung to, or if someone cried near the water. Weird yes, but interesting all the same. It makes sense that people all over the world would worship water. Humans are approximately 60-70% water. Our habitat, earth obviously, is made up of just over 67% water, not to include the water in our atmosphere. No wonder we all gravitate toward the ocean.

Well if nothing else, National Geographic's photographers have us thinking.

Click here to see John Stanmeyer's Sacred Waters Collection.

Images from nationalgeographic.com

№7: Contemporary Art Photography ≠ Photojournalism by Sam Milbrath

I am starting to get the feeling that many photography blogs and sites relate contemporary photography with politically or environmentally aware photographers. Is this because their subject matter is considered socially contemporary or politically correct today? Does incorporating current affairs of any kind make them more credible as fine-art photographers? Or does it place them as photojournalists and documentary photographers? I am a strong believer of art for art's sake. Contemporary art photography should be on the cutting edge of new ideas and aesthetics in art expression. Unless the photographer is totally brilliant in masking the underlying social message in favour of artistic aesthetics, I think for the most part, that the art loses all artistic appeal when combined with strong political, social or environmental subject matter. That said, current political affairs should not hold an obvious position in contemporary fine-art photography.