In the fall of 2009, my brother-in-law Weston decided to go on a little back-pack adventure, throwing planning out the {bus} window as he meandered around some great American cities. I felt inclined to meet up in order to put a little thrill into my junior fall break, so I joined him in Seattle and traveled down to LA. Wes is the creative type, so he brought along his Diana f+ to shoot some lomography style photos. Not wanting to waste a chance to test my underused photography skills, I joined in the fun and snapped a few randoms. Below is a sample of some of my favorites.
Postscript: the lomography style of photography aligns perfectly with the concept of hauntology because it is shot on 120 mm film, allowing the user to capture multiple shots at different {tastefully random} targets. Blatantly, the result is an eery combination of scratchy moments captured in one frame. Call it a memory, call it a ghost, it's not supposed to be specific. Enjoy.
Perfect postscript. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI think you talked about Wes in Featrure writing, it's good to see some of his work.
Sometimes art just is and does not need analysis.
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteActually I shot all of the photos in the slideshow - we used the same camera but different roles of film so that we could differentiate.
I don't think art ever NEEDS analysis, I think that believing it does defeats the purpose of doing it, to some degree. However, I find that in a world where there are way more mp3's, myspace buzz bands, best-of compilations, and other 'marketable material' than any one person could really enjoy, it helps to be able to define why you like something so that when you experience it remixed, promoted, sampled, and eaten by the masses you can remember where that originality came from, and why you liked it in the first place. Basically, I feel like art loses its luster when it is cannibalized, and that one way to not let it fade from your emotional memory is to analyze.
These are some really wonderful photos. I especially like the one of the road. Of all the film photography I attempt, black and white is the most difficult for me. They usually turn out way too dark, or way too bright. You've done a great job with all of the depth and creativity in these. I also think it's really innovative that you connected 120 mm photography to hauntology.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hannah. I like lomography mostly because the flaws in the photos so often end up being what makes them unique and compelling. I feel like so much good art can come from a simple willingness to try it over and over and over again.
ReplyDeleteFun stuff.
These photos are crazy cool. You said it right in your response to Hannah, the flaws really make it unique and compelling. Some of the shots came out as almost eerie in a way, but a good eerie. The way they're shot they're almost pointing to something else and really do make you think a bit more. Great work and thanks for the links for more info.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are SO awesome! i wish I was creative and had a cool artsy side like this !
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