Artist Research Week 5: Direct, Reflect, and Diffuse Light

Week 5 Direct, Reflect, and Diffuse Light

Artist 1

Larry Sultan 

Larry Sultan, Newspaper, 1985

Larry Sultan, Moving Out, 1988

Larry Sultan, Spring/Summer Editorial, 2009

Larry Sultan is an American Photographer, Born in 1946. Sultan Grew up in California's San Fernando Valley, which became a source of inspiration for a number of his projects. His work blends documentary and staged photography to create images of the physical Landscape of suburban family life. He became know in 1977 for Evidence, a highly influential book he made in collaboration with Mike Mandel backed by funding he received from the National Endowment for the Arts. Mandel explained that through their collaboration, they wanted to show that Photography could be "more than just the modernest practise of fine-turning your style and a way of seeing". In the 1980's, Sultan began a decade long project documenting his parents, who we're forced into early retirement, in and around their home. The Project, "Pictures From Home" was both a personal diary as well as a further exploration into fiction of photography.  His work is included in a collection at the Guggenheim Museum, The Tate Modern, The Stedelijk, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He has received 5 NEA grants, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Louis Tiffany Comfort Award, and a Fleshhacker Fellowship. Sultan Died of Cancer at his home in California in 2009. 

Top Image (1985), I really like this Image. I love how you can see his dad's arm in the reflection and then also see the shadow of his dad's arm alone the bottom of the news paper, and then see a shadow of his dad's face at the corner as well.  You can't actually see what's there but at the same time you can. I think it's really cool. In this Image I think the newspaper in a way is acting as a reflector in this image, kinda diffusing and blocking the light from getting through making it a little darker on Sultans side. I love how he used the direct light coming from the other side of the newspaper to create the effect he has as well, I think it's really cool.  

Middle Image (1988), I really love this image too cause I can relate to it. When you look at this Image you can kinda picture what was there and all the memories of what was. I love how he has the lights out and the room dark BUT has the direct light coming in from the doors kinda lighting the room, it gives an airiness to the image. 

Bottom Image (2009), This was one of the last shoots Sultan ever did before his death in 2009. 

I really love this Image, I love the model and the reflection of the model in the glass, it almost seems like the reflection is another person. I love the lighting in this image too. The lights in the background and then the direct light in front of the model which is showing her light up on the reflection as well which looks really cool. 

Artist 2

Hellen Van Meene

Hellen Van Meene

Hellen Van Meene

Hellen is a Dutch Photographer, born in 1972. From 1992-1996 she studied photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Since the mid 1990's Van Meene has gained attention for her staged, yet intimate, photographs of adolescent girls and boys. Solo exhibitions of Van Meenes work have been organised by Sadie Coles HQ in London, and have been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Folkwang Museum in Essen, and Fotomuseum in Wintertur.  Her work has also been included in major group exhibitions, and has been exhibited Internationally. She is known for her use of Light in her images.

Top Image (Dog), I love the Dogs face in this image lol. In this image you can see direct light coming from the left side of the image onto the dog and girl. 

Bottom Image (Girl), I really like this image. I love her use of light, I think it's really creative.  I kinda feel like the light in this image is reflecting off of the walls cause it's quite bright in parts especially on her face and top of her shirt.