Capturing the Essence of Artists: Is a head enough?

Asher Kelman · Apr 15, 2012

Antonio Correia said:
And there we are. These are the reasons why I starting all over this very afternoon, in a few hours.

Antonio,

I too have questions on how to best represent an artist or other creative person without being cliché.

Perhaps we should look around each artists studio and watch the work being done as you have with other artisans in your journeys. For a conductor, why not have a baton, for the sculptor, a chisel and so forth and then the b.g. being related to his/her art? See how folk have represented Picasso, Beethoven, Casals or Einstein.

Pablo Picasso at Pencils.com
Born, Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno
María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trini!!!

Ludwig Van Beethoven at fastertimes.com

Pablo Casals at Textuality

They used a video too! Make that and I'll have the forum updated suitably. It's a promise I have to fulfill anyway. Just make sure you click through to enjoy the cello playing.

Albert Einstein at Low Density Lifestyle

I do think that video should be part of an exhibition.

Asher

Michael Nagel · Apr 15, 2012

Asher,

my answer on this is no - there are many artists who's oeuvre is too broad to be covered just by one photo and same goes for the many aspects of their personality. Pablo Picasso is a perfect example for this.

He had great humor as can be seen in the portrait by Robert Doisneau.

He was very energetic/dynamic as well shown in this multiple exposure by Gjon Mili.

Best regards,
Michael

Antonio Correia · Apr 15, 2012

Yes Michael. I know a guy here who makes sculpture, painting and installations becoming too difficult "to fit" in one photograph, like the excellent example of Pablo Picasso.

What a portrait by Doisneau ! Full of humor ! However, Picasso is so well known that there was no need of introduction.

I have already seen the painting with light by Picasso in Mili's multiple exposure. Quite interesting.

And look here how Cecil Beaton photographed TS Elliot in 56. How would you know he was a writer if you havn't ever seen his face ?

Mark Hampton · Apr 16, 2012

Asher Kelman said:
Antonio,

I too have questions on how to best represent an artist or other creative person without being cliché.

Perhaps we should look around each artists studio and watch the work being done as you have with other artisans in your journeys. For a conductor, why not have a baton, for the sculptor, a chisel and so forth and then the b.g. being related to his/her art? See how folk have represented Picasso, Beethoven, Casals or Einstein.

Pablo Picasso at Pencils.com
Born, Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno
María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trini!!!

Ludwig Van Beethoven at fastertimes.com

Pablo Casals at Textuality

They used a video too! Make that and I'll have the forum updated suitably. It's a promise I have to fulfill anyway. Just make sure you click through to enjoy the cello playing.

Albert Einstein at Low Density Lifestyle

I do think that video should be part of an exhibition.

Asher

ah .. i dont belive you can capture the essance on anything in photography - but thats another debate,

here an artist makes a potrait of themself to try and refect how they feel about thier culture ... it kind of fits in...

[Extract from] Bind -Ryoko Suzuki

you could of course give them the camera, hope this helps open it up.

cheers

Antonio Correia · Apr 16, 2012

Mark, this image - the one from Suzuki - makes me creep/scares as much as most of his other work.

Isn't it a bit an "oriental idea" ? Or am I saying non-sense ? Would any occidental artist - or whoever we may call so - do this ?

I do not like this. At all.

However, I like this. Very political ! LOL

Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953 by Francis Bacon

260px-Study_after_Velazquez%27s_Portrait_of_Pope_Innocent_X.jpg

Photo from here

Thank you for mentioning

John Wolf · Apr 16, 2012

My model would be HCB's environmental portraits, many of artists. Rarely just a head and always some context. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/museums/photogallery/bresson/gal_1-1.htm

Newman's Stravinsky is not bad either:

John

Antonio Correia · Apr 16, 2012

Yes John. Portraits in context.

I am working on them.

Have you seen Francis Bacon by Arnold Newman ? Or Lloyld Wright ? among others... like HCB himself.

Image from here

Capturing the Essence of Artists: Is a head enough?

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief

Michael Nagel

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Antonio Correia

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Mark Hampton

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Antonio Correia

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John Wolf

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Antonio Correia

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