Paul Graham: why the art world simply does not get photography

A friend of mine (thanks Yannick !) recently forwarded me a link towards Paul Graham website. In a presentation during the MOMA photography forum, the British artist expressed an interesting point of view on why photography “for and of itself” (as opposed to photography deployed as an artistic strategy by more conceptual artists) is often overlooked by contemporary art curators and dealers.

From Paul Graham’s words: “The broader art world has no problems with the work of Jeff Wall, or Cindy Sherman or James Casebere or Thomas Demand partly because the creative process in the work is clear and plain to see, and it can be easily articulated and understood what the artist did: Thomas Demand constructs his elaborate sculptural creations over many weeks before photographing them; Cindy Sherman develops, acts and performs in her self-portraits. In each case the handiwork of the artist is readily apparent: something was synthesized, staged, constructed or performed. The dealer can explain this to the client, the curator to the public, the art writer to their readers, etc. The problem is that whilst you can discuss what Jeff Wall did in an elaborately staged street tableaux, how do you explain what Garry Winogrand did on a real New York street when he ‘just’ took the picture ?”.

Walead BESHTY, Folds, Curls, Loops

It remains a mystery to me: how come that artists from different countries, different experience, suddenly embrace the same direction ? These past years have for instance seen the rebirth of abstract photography (the initial “birth” going back to Man Ray or Moholy-Nagy photogramms). By abstract photography, I refer to images taken without camera, and more the result of dark room experiences.
More recently, one of the most decisive endeavours in that field came from LA based artist Walead Beshty. Some of his series apply to a larger scale the avant-garde techniques of “sans-camera” imagery. The process yields with sometimes very large pieces (more than 2 meters long), full with colours and linear composition. I couldn’t see the MOMA Young Photography show, to which Beshty participated, but took the opportunity to see gallery shows, at Thomas Dane and Thaddaeus Ropac. Internet pictures can only account for a small part of the visual impact of these abstract images. Most notably, the prints still keep trace of the artist’s folding process, so that there is a physical presence to it, a mix of good looks and imperfect texture. In brief words, Beshty photographs are overwhelmingly beautiful, and still, very modern.

N-B: Those in NY will be able to see some more works, in the upcoming “Haunted” photography exhibition at the Guggenheim museum.

Image courtesy Ropac Gallery and the artist

Philip-Lorca DiCorcia Polaroids

At the Armory Show, David Zwirner Gallery stand drew much attention. The NY dealer had a solo show on Philip-Lorca diCorcia Polaroids. The 100 images belonged to different series, from the Hustler early works to more recent ones, like the Pole dancers. With an asking price of 4000$, it was seen by many collectors as a good opportunity to acquire a unique piece by a great photographer.

But more importantly, it offered a fantastic view on DiCorcia’s creative process. The Hustler Polaroids, for instance, are quite revealing. They can be seen as sketches, took by the photographer before the final shot, in the way portrait painters often use drawings to arrange their composition. The real surprise comes from the fact that they stand as works on their own. In front of large Hustler prints, indeed, I thought these images needed more intimacy. This is exactly what the Polaroids provide us with.

Images courtesy David Zwirner Gallery & the artist

Juergen Teller, Self Service

I’m not a huge fan of limited editions. Simply adding a signed print to a book, even with a slipcase, does not add much to an artist’s book quality. Often, it is simply a non-creative way to feed an exclusive collectible market. There are a few exceptions to that rule however.
Juergen Teller’s Self Service #31 limited edition is one of them. This biannual fashion magazine celebrated Teller’s work with this hardcover special release of the magazine, signed and numbered by the artist, where all pages that were initially not referring to Teller’s images have been left blank. The result is a book with a true “artist book” feeling, mostly white, with different paper qualities. And of course, the book comes with a signed C-Print, actually a nice one (I sometimes think that photographers choose minor images for limited editions…), very typical of Juergen Teller “white flash” light.
At a moderate price tag of 160 EUR, it's a wonderful addition.

“Riley and his story” vs “Why Mister Why”

What’s the difference between a witness and a photojournalist ?

Two of the most interesting war photography books of these past years, “Riley and his story” and “Why Mister why” both deal with Iraq. They both share a rough approach to book design (Why Mister why is printed on magazine stock for instance), perhaps a way to get the closest possible to field reality: harsh, ugly.

The main difference lies in the photographer’s eye. While Geert Van Kesteren was a journalist embedded with US troops, Riley Sharbonno was part of these troops. More precisely, Riley was part of the medical staff at Abu Ghraib facilities. This unique point of view yields with striking images, non professional ones, sometimes naïve, sometimes unbearable. Flipping through the book is a true experience, which makes “Riley and his story” a must read.

February in London, contemporary art auctions

Next week, London will see a new round of contemporary art auctions. As in 2009, there are fewer lots, with a focus on quality. In a dream world, here are a few lots I would happily bid on:

At Philips de Pury:

WOLFGANG TILLMANS

(Untitled) Las Vegas, 2000

Cibachrome print in the artist's frame. 171.5 × 145.1 cm (67 1/2 × 57 1/8 in). Signed 'Wolfgang Tillmans' and numbered of one on the reverse. This work is from an edition of one plus an artist's proof.

30.000£-40.000£

In my view, this Tillmans image ranks amongst his best works. It was the cover image of the “View from above” book. Philips de Pury’s catalog says it well: “The beautiful urban nightscape is broken up by a series of gleaming lines and marks spread across the picture’s surface like the slashing, gestural brushstrokes of an abstract painter.”

At Christies:

Peter FISCHLI & David WEISS

Airport (Paris Air France)

signed and dated '2000 Fischli David Weiss' (on the backing board)

Cibachrome print. 60 x 83 5/8in. (152.4 x 212.4cm.)

Executed in 2000, this work is number three from an edition of six

18.000£-22.000£

Fischli&Weiss Airport Series is one of my favourite body of works (and an excellent book, too). This will sound odd, but the print is rather cheaply priced here. There is room for surprise on the upside, though this particular image could be judged a little bit too dark.

At Christies:

WADE GUYTON

Untitled, executed in 2005.

EPSON ULTRACHROME INKJET ON LINEN

30 7/8 X 24 7/8in. (78.5 X 63cm.)

20.000£-30.000£

Christies will auction three works by Wade Guyton. I will get a close look at results, as Wade Guyton works are very scarce both on the primary and secondary markets. This “painting”, most notably, is typical of Guyton’s inkjet works.

Thomas Ruff "Haüser" Portfolio

Collecting Thomas Ruff's work is both easy and complex.
Easy, because it is rather difficult to make a mistake, as almost ALL his series are interesting. I read it as a sign that Thomas Ruff is making history. Interiors, Porträts, Hauser, Sterne, Nacht, LMVDR, Jpegs…Even some Nudes images (the ones with immediate impact, and thus the ones that appear more frequently at auctions) deserve attention.
On the other hand, collecting Ruff’s work is very complex. Unless you are a Russian billionaire with unlimited purchasing power, you have to make difficult choices. At a first glance, some series are very different one from another. How to choose between a 1980’s “Portrat” and a 2000’s Jpeg ? Apart from the obvious “subjective” factor, historical significance enters into play.

After several years of wandering through Thomas Ruff’s work, I happen to be more oriented towards his architecture images. They are a recurring theme, as seen in the Hauser series, the LMVDR, some pictures for Herzog & Meuron (the book published in 1994 is a must have) and part of the Jpeg series. And they make full use of Ruff’s image treatment techniques.
Going back to the roots, hence, the Hauser Portfolio released by Schellman Edition in 1989 is a seminal work. The 5 Dye-Transfer prints depict urban landscapes, focused on a house or a building, with so simple an approach that the images come close to abstraction. During a long discussion on Ruff’s work, an art dealer once advised me to have a close look at this Hauser series, as it was the first one where the artist modified images afterwards, in order to rub out some visual interferences. If true, this work announces much of other “image editing” series, such as the LMVDR, the Nudes and Jpegs.