Is Photography Dead?

To quote Twain, ‘reports of death have been exaggerated.’ Despite the recession’s forced pull back of aspiring and edgy photography, I saw a few jewels and some cool new techniques at this year’s aipad (Association of International Photography Art Dealers). In order to see as much as possible in one visit, I skipped any booth showing vintage work I’ve already seen. (I confess, however, to gazing fondly at Bruce Davidson’s images from Central Park.)

The most inspiring work in my eyes was from Julie Blackmon (Catherine Edelman), Carrie Mae Weems (Charles Guice) and Holly Andres (Robert Mann). Blackmon’s images star family members in intriguing and somewhat disturbing moments of everyday life. A small boy watches a young shirtless girl through the picture window of a suburban ranch house. She shoots multiple images and combines them in spectacular color and clarity. Weems’ images are sometimes playful and sometimes in-your-face disturbing views of cultural and sexual identity. A series of powerful portraits match nursery rhymes to subjects with closed eyes or bodies facing away from the camera. All of them are posed in the exact same scene—looking into a round dresser mirror at the bed opposite. Holly Andres’ images were inspired to be covers for Nancy Drew novels. You don’t need to know that to appreciate their intriguing and lonely girl subjects. A girl bends over to right a bottle of milk spilling down the front stairs on a misty night; a girl sits in a beautiful aqua dress amid dozens of paper doll-like cut outs from magazines.

Photographers using different techniques that drew my attention included Jim Campbell (Bryce Wolkowitz), Abelardo Morell (Bonni Benrubi) and Louviere & Vanessa (A Gallery for Fine Photography). Campbell sets up a still camera alongside a video camera. Using LED technology he is able to insert shadowy images of people moving through a still scene. I suspect this is a hint of what’s to come. Morell’s images are gorgeous. He creates pinhole images by blacking all the windows in a room, pricking a small hole and then exposing the scene for many hours. The image from outside is projected on the wall of the room upside down. Louviere & Vanessa process is almost as exciting as their imagery. They coat aluminum with black gesso and overlay gold or silver leaf squares. The images have a spectacular rich metallic duotone look. An oversized image of a German Sheperd leaping through the air was truly inspiring.

I was thrilled to see the work of local photographer Carolyn Marks Blackwood at Alan Klotz’ booth. She works in abstracts and changes in light that evoke wonder and tranquility. It’s not immediately apparent that these images are close up details of ice chunks and water ripples on the Hudson River.

Take the time to visit some of these galleries. There is a lot of good work to get your creative juices flowing!

All images shown here are property of artist and shown to inspire you to see more of their work.