Critique

For the first critique with Rachel Malin I showed digital portraits taken during my time in Spain. For the second critique (this past Friday) I presented three B&W prints, also portraits but definitley with much more of a sensual and intimate feel to them than the digital Spain ones. I think I realize now more than ever how much my photography is based upon voyeurism. It is a topic which is relevant to all photography in some way or another, and something which I truly began investigating last year when I did a series of photographs taken thorugh the window of my bedroom. With my voyeuristic work I particularly relate to a series called "Dreamtown" by Carlos Chavarria: 

I like taking candid photos of both strangers and friends, using the camera lens to crop the scene into something strange. Another influence in voyeruism for me is Saul Leiter's color work:

                                      

As I tried to explain in the last critique, I am frustrated right now with photography because I feel like I am constantly striving to produce something more than just an image on paper. The notion of image vs. object has been conflicting my mindset ever since Julie Langsam's drawing class last year, where she challenged us to create an object rather than an image. Leiter produces photographs, plain and simple- images on paper. I really do love photographs just as they are. But as far as my "artistic potential" I definitely think I want to go further. I am going to work through my self-induced photography-as-a-medium frustration- what I need most to do that is to just keep taking pictures of what interests me, and maybe I'll even come to some sort of an epiphany...In the meantime, I'm in the mood for collages.