fototazo: Charles Guice

Showing posts with label Charles Guice. Show all posts

4.29.2014

Classroom: Aura Lambertinez

fototazo began a mentorship program in 2012, matching young Colombian photographers with mentors from across the spectrum of the photographic world - gallery owners, bloggers, academics, art directors and working photographers. The goal is to provide the young photographers with commentary and advice on their work from professionals in the field and to expand their network and knowledge of resources beyond Colombia.

The program started behind the scenes, but in an effort to create a singular conversation, share with readers work being made by the photographers, and under the belief that the advice, insight, and ways of talking about images offered by the mentors will be useful and interesting to other photographers, we are experimenting with making the process a public one.

We will be featuring a selection of images from a photographer involved in the program and comments from mentors approximately once a month.

This post features the work of Aura Lambertinez - who was our 11th microgrant recipient - and comments from her two assigned mentors, Gwen Lafage and Charles Guice, as well as additional comments from Dawn Roe.

The image numbers in the text correspond to those below the images in the caption here.

______________________________

Aura sent this note to her mentors about the work.

Dear mentors:

My name is Aura Duque Lambertinez. I'm studying a degree in the visual arts at the University of Antioquia. I'm 22 and I live in Medellin, Colombia. Some time ago I worked a bit on a project on vanity. It spoke of the ephemeral and the number of gadgets that humans have invented in order to try to satisfy the emptinesses we sometimes feel imposed by a consumer society. The work emphasized the grotesque that you can become.

Now I'm starting a new project, which speaks of absence. I decided to do it after the suicide of my cousin and best friend. I would like to receive suggestions and tips about how to talk about this situation through the pictures. I do not want to verge on the literal, and would love to achieve a more emotional and subtle poetry in each image.

I greatly appreciate your input and comments!

Regards, Aura Lambertinez

Response from Charles Guice:

Hola Aura,

You’ve obviously chosen a very personal subject to base your new series on. I’m so sorry for your loss. Co-workers, friends and family members often face a wave of emotions in the aftermath of a suicide, including grief, shock, anger, guilt, fear, depression and relief, and you yourself may be feeling any or all of these. A number of your images do, in fact, seem to reflect many of these emotions.

Certainly, the second image (woman in bed) appears to capture someone feeling deep depression, while several of the others, including the third (Star of David necklace), fifth (ring), seventh (box on mattress) and ninth (diary), evoke feelings of memory and loss. Initially, these five are the most effective and generating these varied emotions.

Personally, I found many of the other images to be less effective in conveying any real emotion, but they may have significance to you that I simply could not impart. I also initially thought that the emotional response should be even, e.g., all evoking similar feelings of memory and loss. But I then came to the conclusion they should not because, as a close friend of a suicide victim, your own emotions would probably swing back and forth over time.

With that in mind, I would suggest varying the emotional response even more than you have, assuming you have experienced these, as I would expect you to initially feel shock, then anger, depression and eventually loss. Photographing and selecting images that evoke and represent these emotions would make your work more powerful and possibly even cathartic.

I hope this is helpful, Aura. Having also lost a friend to suicide, my response to the work is probably more an emotional one than anything else, as the work forces me to reexamine my own feelings. I would encourage you to explore the full spectrum of your own feelings even further and try and represent them as best you can.

I’m looking forward to seeing where you take this. Please do keep in touch.

Abrazos,

Charles

Response from Dawn Roe:

Hello Aura,

What a great start to your project! Many strong images in this group – I’ve got quite a few comments, and I hope they are clear. I’ll start with Image 1 and 9. Although they are somewhat distinct formally, they stand out to me as being the strongest in relation to the sensibility you are in search of – there is a strong poignancy to each of these images for somewhat different reasons, for me.

Number 1 is a striking image to start off with – and I was admittedly being influenced by the knowledge that the content of this work deals with the suicide of your best friend and cousin. There is a strong sensation that comes across in that image – very much a feeling of being on that rooftop under the somewhat sickly (yet beautiful) orange glow of the city lights, coupled with the wet concrete that is made more noticeable due to the reflection that sits within the small puddle. The light illuminating its outer portion further accentuates the ledge, and there is a palpable intensity that can be felt when one considers the empty space, just beyond.

Number 9 conjures many of these same feelings, but differently. The aesthetic is somewhat simpler, less romanticized perhaps. The book is clearly (but softly) lit and there is a sense of this interior space being dimly illuminated. The book is perfectly framed and contained very precisely within the edges of the frame, allowing just enough of the bare mattress to show through from below. Here too, there is a strong sense of loss, again being influenced by the knowledge of the content, but even without that, the inclusion of this book/journal within the image suggests its importance and/or relevance to someone’s life – and it is somewhat sadly left tossed open upon the bed.

I also thought 5, 7 and 13 had potential, and feel perhaps that 6 and 14 play off of one another in an interesting manner in terms of the suggestion of a wide open, yet lonely world (which could relate back to the first image as well) – although the tilted horizon in image 14 doesn’t seem to make as much sense with your others images (at least not right now) although I can see how the movement and possible urgency suggested within that type of composition might be a strategy you could employ.

Number 5 and 7 are aesthetically and conceptually similar to number 9, and I think it was smart to break these up within your sequence, as the repetition of the mattress does become noticeable. I’m not sure though that they all need to be in the series, as there is the potential that the repeated gesture of placing an item of seeming significance on top of this (potentially loaded) surface, could lose its strength if repeated too forcefully or frequently. I will say that those do have the subtle poetic quality that you are seeking with the work, and I am drawn to them visually. There is also something compelling happening in number 13. The religious symbolism coupled with the fragmentary nature of the composition speaks to absence – the emptiness of the interior of the composition accentuates this, where the disembodied hand comes out toward the middle, and the small tree seems almost as if its trying to rise up to meet the gesture.

In terms of those that aren’t working as well for me – at this point, 2 and 3 seem a bit more overt than your others, and less nuanced. As well, formally, the extreme blues and pinks don’t seem to make as much sense with the subdued, subtle palette of the majority of the work. For this reason, 10 does not work as well for me at this time either. And, although there is potential in the final image, it doesn’t contain quite enough specificity, for me, at this point, and is almost just a bit too ambiguous. The same is true for number 12 – potential, but maybe revisit that one. Numbers 11, 8 and 4 are just not as strong formally for me, as your others. The compositions don’t seem as deliberate and they don’t, at this time, feel as much a part of the series as the others.

There is enormous potential here, and I hope I get a chance to see the work as it unfolds. Thanks for allowing me the chance to see this work in progress!

Dawn Roe

Hi Aura,

Thanks so much for sharing your work.

I'm glad to see the first photos of this new series and at first glance I have to say that I'm impressed with how your work has evolved and is becoming much stronger than what you presented last year.

The theme you have chosen for your new series is very difficult and it is very brave to address such a personal and emotional subject. Dealing with grief and trying (I guess) to find answers through photography is very honorable and I hope that it can help you.

Of course absence is hard to photograph, as you're trying to represent something which is not there anymore. The way to achieve this could be done in different ways, for example through objects reminding you of your friend that belong to her, places representing memories, old notes, tickets, etc., old photographs. It could also be done through a more direct approach, including yourself (self-portraits) or member of your/her family. Both approaches can also be complementary.

One thing which is I think important to keep in mind for every project is the consistency of your project and how each photograph can add to the story you want to tell or the feeling you want to express. In your case I think that your desire to create 'emotional and subtle poetry' is more achieved by some photos than others. Think about the colors of the photos, the textures but also how the photos work together and how they follow each other. I think your color palette here can really change your project and give it a different tone.

To be more specific, I believe that some of your photos work better than others for your objective. For example photos 8 and 11 don't really seem to work that well with the rest. Photo 14 is not as strong as photo 1 or even 10. Photo 4 and 13 work for me, I like what they're telling.

Photo 3 can be interesting but I'm wondering about the color which seems to stand out from the rest. I like photo 2 but I'm wondering if it fits with the rest or if maybe you should add more photos like this one: this is the only photo featuring someone (you?) and I think that you could explore that idea but add more photos like this. Photos 5, 7 and 9 seem very personal and they make lot of sense - I'd explore more photos like these to create this very personal feeling (there is something very sad about those photos) and emphasize the absence by presence of objects.

I did a quick search of projects dealing with similar situations, and here are a few projects which might be inspiring (even if the circumstances and contexts are quite different):

http://dennisdehartcom.fatcow.com/photography/when-i-see-you/

http://www.henrikmalmstrom.com : ON BORROWED TIME

http://goseongchoi.com/umma

http://elizabethfleming.com/#/PORTFOLIOS/Buried%20on%20Her%2090th%20Birthday/1/

http://www.joshualutz.com/#/books/hesitating-beauty

I hope this helps!

I look forward to see how your project evolves.

Best

Gwen

8.10.2013

Classroom: Edwin Ochoa Vélez

fototazo began a mentorship program in 2012, matching young Colombian photographers with mentors from across the spectrum of the photographic world - gallery owners, bloggers, academics, art directors, and working photographers. The goal is to provide the young photographers with commentary and advice on their work from professionals in the field and to expand their network and knowledge of resources beyond Colombia.

The program has until now been behind the scenes, but in an effort to create a singular conversation, share with readers work being made by the photographers, and under the belief that the advice, insight, and ways of talking about images offered by the mentors will be useful and interesting to other photographers, we are going to experiment with making the process a public one.

We will be featuring a selection of images from a photographer involved in the program and comments from mentors approximately once a month. The current photographer and comments will be housed under a new classroom tab above and older posts will be available through the site links page.

This post features the work of Edwin Ochoa - who was our ninth microgrant recipient - and comments from Jaime Permuth, Kevin Thrasher, Matt Johnston, and Charles Guice. Edwin's statement and images as well as the comments from the mentors are below.

______________________________

Edwin Ochoa
SILENCIO / SILENCE

I am interested in the search for silence as a state of being, where we can hear our own thoughts and maybe have more clarity about what is and what is not important for ourselves.

But this task can be difficult in a contemporary society where there is always something loudly calling for our attention, where there is always something to see, something to hear.

This series in progress is an exploration of the moments and spaces that can be reached to realize the connection between the external world of everyday life and this internal state of consciousness and peace that I consider so necessary.

From Jaime Permuth:

I enjoyed Edwin Ochoa's series for the sense of wonder evoked in his photographs. I was particularly interested in his exploration of the intersection of nature and culture. In his best images (#1,4,6,9), the architecture of urban spaces contains or interrupts the natural world in ways that suggest disquiet, yearning and silent contemplation.

In his Artist Statement, Edwin writes that he seeks clarity about what matters and what doesn’t matter in life. Nature and culture both place demands on the individual. At times, such demands can be at odds with one another and result in a divided self. How do the human figures represented in the work form part of this equation? What is signified by having them turn away or placed at a remove from the viewer? Should we file them mentally under the heading of "what matters" or "what doesn’t matter"?

Areas of improvement:

I would suggest working to unify and refine the color palette. Also, I'm not convinced that the series is made stronger by including the human figure; its role hasn't been fully resolved.

JP

From Kevin Thrasher:

Your visual language to depict these moments is heavily made up of:

Chiaroscuro, reflection, clouds, sky, unidentified figures.

I think you are trying to make photographs about being a photographer. I think the moments of clarity you are trying to depict are your own, via making photographs in the world. Each image seems like your clarity more than that of the subjects. In many cases people are looking off into somewhere, I'm not convinced that the people are coming to a pinnacle of what is and is not important. Your idea is very interesting but I don't know that the images are clearly describing this internal thought and feeling that you write about.

In the images with people, the figure is too tightly cropped in their environment for me to be able to understand the moment or to make a mental leap in creating a narrative about their mental state, without seeing their space.

Image #2 I can’t understand the red object in the top right corner of the frame.

Image #12 the two horizontal lines coming out of the right corner of the frame look like they were Photoshopped poorly.

The moments aren't there enough for me yet. I don't think you have connected with each subject showing them in a moment, #16 & #10 are good starts.

The spaces need more work, they are too detail driven for my taste. I want to see more of the whole and less specific, pointing detail of the space.

Kevin Thrasher

From Matt Johnston:

Hi Edwin,

If I understand your statement correctly there is a great deal of interest at the moment in the themes that you are exploring through your photography. While this can be a supportive thing, ensure that you can disentangle your own ideas from others (this does not mean change what you are investigating). If you have not already, you might enjoy reading Henry David Thoreau's "Walden’ and Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on "Self-Reliance" as jumping off points.

I can certainly link the images you have made with the concept although would not perhaps have arrived at such a connection without the statement as a prompt. Aesthetically many of the images shown are strong and work in some sense as stand-alones but in considering them a part of a series, and a themed series, I believe more work is needed. The bold colours and harsh lighting makes it hard for me to move from one image to another or make pairings in the mind - I see this as a collection of 16 images rather than a series of 16 images.

That said, this is by no means a bad position to be in. I would suggest that you try to understand how you can use silence in your own work rather than a constant communication. Can you justify each of those images against your concept and can you reason that each says something the others cannot?

Look forward to seeing more
Matt

From Charles Guice:

Edwin,

I was struck by the cinematic aspect of your images, and was immediately reminded of the opening sequences of many of Terrence Malick's films. I mention this because, as a matter of practice, I prefer reviewing an artist’s work before reading his or her statement. This allows me to read and approach the work as most viewers do, all who will bring their own preconceptions and interpretations, as I did with my reference to Malick's films. I then read the statement to see if it supports what I've just seen.

One of the comments I often make when reviewing work is that, as an artist, you’re never really sure how someone will "enter" your work. Your first, second or even third image may not "hook" them in. Sequencing is an important aspect of most portfolios, but an artist must also be mindful of the fact that the success or failure of a body of work—at least in the perception of the viewer—may rest on the strength of a single image.

With that in mind, some of the images are more successful than others at holding the viewer's attention. As single images, Untitled #1 (night cityscape with reflected interiors), Untitled #5 (woman in yellow), Untitled #10 (woman standing before curtains) and Untitled #12 (man in purple) are, for me, all engaging images. As pieces of the larger narrative, they work well to shape a story, threading what could be disparate images together.

That thread can be found in the images themselves. The cityscape carries the viewer from the first to the second image, the bird in the second to the parachutist in the third, and so on. At the same time, some of the images are less successful on their own. Untitled #3 (parachutist) is difficult to read, as is Untitled #6 (storm clouds), and does little in the way of carrying the viewer's interest.

I say this, again, to draw attention to the fact that these two may be the first images the viewer sees and, if that's the case, it is doubtful that they would engage him or her. With that in mind, I would suggest photographing a skydiver that sits larger in frame and, perhaps, adding another element in the foreground of Untitled #6.

Overall, I think your stated search for solitude—or "silence," as you put it—is reflected in the work, but that this message is presently somewhat muted. To better achieve that may mean adding five or six additional images, or re-imaging and re-shooting some of the images you've already made. Nonetheless, I will be interested in seeing where you take the series from here.

Charles

6.03.2013

Classroom: Natalia Lopera

fototazo began a mentorship program in 2012, matching young Colombian photographers with mentors from across the spectrum of the photographic world - gallery owners, bloggers, academics, art directors, and working photographers. The goal is to provide the mentee photographers with commentary and advice on their work from professionals in the field and to expand their network and knowledge of resources beyond Colombia.

The program has until now been behind the scenes, but in an effort to create a singular conversation, show readers work being made by photographers in the country, and under the belief that the advice, insight, and ways of talking about images offered by the mentors will be useful and interesting to other photographers, we are going to experiment with making the process a public one.

Every month we will be featuring a selection of images from a photographer involved in the program and comments from their two dedicated mentors as well as any other mentors that contribute during the month. The current photographer and comments will be housed under a new "classroom" tab above.

This initial post features the work of Natalia Lopera - who was our second microgrant recipient - and comments from Kevin Thrasher, Matt Johnston, Oliver Schneider, and Charles Guice. A statement from her, her images, and the comments from the mentors are below.

______________________________

First, as part of this inaugural post, let me give the overview of the program. It is increasing from the four initial photographers involved to seven, each matched with two mentors. An eighth photographer as well as an additional mentor will be added in the following months.

The pairings are:

Photographers: Natalia Lopera and Margarita Valdivieso
Mentors: Matt Johnston co-runs The Photo Book Club as well as Phonar; he is a Professor at the University of Coventry in England; Kevin Thrasher is a photographer based in Richmond, Virginia

Photographers: Juliana Henao Alcaraz
Mentors: Julia Schiller co-runs the site Actual colors may vary; Oliver Schneider co-runs the site Actual colors may vary. Julia and Oliver will be considered one mentor and Juliana and a second photographer to be added to the program in the coming months will be paired with a third mentor.

Photographers: Edwin Ochoa Vélez and Monica Lorenza Taborda Gutiérrez
Mentors: John Edwin Mason runs the blog John Edwin Mason: Documentary, Motorsports, Photo History and is a Professor at the University of Virginia; Wayne Ford runs Wayne Ford's Blog and co-runs The Photo Book Club

Photographera: Aura Lambertinez and Alba Bran
Mentors: Charles Guice is Founder of Charles Guice Contemporary; Gwen Lafage is Founder of Gallery Carte Blanche

Bryan Formhals, Founding and Managing Editor of LPV Magazine, will be serving as a floating mentor and guest critic, periodically reviewing work from all four program photographers.

______________________________

Now on to this month's work and comments.

Here's Natalia's starting statement to the mentors:

At this point I'm an observer of my own portfolio. I know there are things missing.

I want to become fluid with the handling of the camera because I think that's very important for my connection with my subject.

Honestly, I wait for the moment when the photos just become better.

In my way of working, it becomes difficult when it becomes time to talk about the concept, but inside I feel it's becoming more clear - just don't ask me to say what it is!

______________________________

Comments from the mentors:

Kevin Thrasher's comments:

Looking at the images makes the following words come to mind - life, aging, young, old, wonder, feet, birds.

I understand the need to make work and the problem of having to explain it to other people because speaking of work is an issue. I think you need the homework assignment of writing 2-4 sentences about each image. The images look like a mixture of exploring and access to people in your life.

It feels like you have a few different subjects in this grouping of images.

The portraits of older individuals express a closeness to them, they are playful and tender at times.

Life cycles expressed through animals.

Another group of images is harder to name the subject matter i.e. images 1, 2, 3, 13, 16, 17, 18
And others show the relationship with someone. Images 1, 9, 20

Things I see in the work:

You see good light and you use it well.

You are recognizing pattern and that comes across in your editing of the work. Image 2 and 3, 15 and16

You photographed people asleep and people covering their face.

In photo 2, you have an interesting subject, but my attention in the image gets broken by the white power cable in the background.

Image 1 is really green. Is this an aesthetic choice? Image 13 and 19 are too magenta for me.

Images 13 and 17 I keep going back to. I can't tell you why. I feel like I have seen another version of these somewhere. These two images are filled with a sense of wonder and ask more questions of me then they offer answers. Image 5 is another strong image. The light, color palette and shallow depth of field all combine for a unique feeling that is also shared in images 8 and 10.

Look at the work of these photographers: Rinko Kawauchi, William Eggleston and Alessandra Sanguinetti. It's helpful for me to call out work that I'm reminded of, but don’t look at this work as a suggestion for you to make work like them. If you want clarification about anything I have said here, please let me know.

Matt Johnston's comments:

Don’'t sweat the talking about your work just yet, that will come to some degree in time (very few photographers can talk about their work well [although most think they can]), and as you point out you should become fluid with the handling of your camera, especially in these delicate moments you are operating in.

As this is not presented as a series, I feel a little harsh for bringing up the matter of an inconsistent palette but I did find it a distraction as I progressed through the work; for example we go from the hyper-real and super-saturated image number 3 to a muted image number 4 (there is nothing wrong with either, just that together they sit slightly at odds with one another).

As Kevin has pointed out, you see, and use light very well indeed, I would add shape to that also and looking at Kawauchi’s work may help you see more in your own. Overall I am thinking of contact, touch, proximity and intimacy in these images and I think there are storylines here that I am not picking up on. I would be interested to see you make short (very short) stories using 2-4 images at a time (don’t concern yourself with accuracy, just the narrative).

Just a thought ,but experiment with these sequences on a large white, blank canvas, as it stands I don't think the linearity of the web gallery is working for the work and it would be interesting to see you arrange these 2/3/4 images more fluidly.

You might be interested to explore the work of Joanna Ornowska ("Awake") and Bim Hjortronsteen ("The Ice is Getting Thinner") but I would reiterate Kevin’s comments regarding not taking these as suggestions.

Any questions please get in touch
M

Comments from Oliver Schneider:

Hello Natalia and everybody,

It's really nice to see your work develop (we've already commented on them earlier)! Often receiving submissions for our blog ACMV in very varying quality in writing, I see the importance to be able to write about work. It's probably not the most pressing issue for an ongoing artist, but it might make it clearer for yourself what you want to achieve, I think. Julia and I are invited to speak publicly about our blog in Belfast and we have a hard time to figure out why we're doing our work and why we choose the work of one artist over the other. It started an ongoing discussion about our way of working and about what we think about art and photography, which is fun and interesting. So I think the homework Kevin and Matt suggested is a great idea.

One more thought about colors and consistency: in my opinion, your work is an ongoing, long story or a lot of short stories combined in one long story. When I was tired of thinking in the classical series format, it freed my work and I felt freed. But it's hard sometimes to continue and not to feel lost - in that way it might be easier to have a specific, fixed frame to work on. On the other hand this is what makes the work of Rinko Kawauchi or William Eggleston so touching and profound. I just think the consistency in color and maybe format (horizontal, vertical, square etc) is important then to have to feeling of an ongoing, consistent storyline.

Best wishes from Oliver & Julia

Charles Guice's comments:

Hola Natalia,

I enjoyed viewing your work and saw it within the framework of a project about memory. I was also struck by a number of stylistic devices and themes, e.g., your color palette and use of selective focus, and then recurring images of feet, hands, birds and people at rest or asleep.

Several of the photos appeared to be intentionally desaturated, particularly Untitled #1 (Feet in water) and Untitled #7 (Woman sleeping) and, in those that were not, you carried the suggestion of this palette forward by photographing green subjects, as in Untitled #2 (Dried berries), Untitled #3 (Grass) and Untitled #8 (submerged hand and minnows).

The most dominant theme, however, is the idea of memory, sleep, dreaming and recollection. Untitled #3 evokes a sense of what had been, Untitled #5 (Bird in cage), uses selective focus to achieve a similar feeling, while Untitled #6 (Woman and dog sleeping), Untitled #7 (Woman sleeping) and Untitled #12 (Man sleeping) all capture their subjects at rest. And covered, closed and/or downcast eyes are sometimes signifiers of recollection, as in Untitled #11 (Woman covering her eyes) and Untitled #16 (Woman with bowed head).

There were several images that didn't seem to fit your narrative, particularly Untitled #9 (Man with woman), Untitled #17 (Glass horse on windowsill), Untitled #18 (Hand with string) and Untitled #19 (Woman with hand to face). I might suggest editing these out in favor of some future images.

And I'm not sure if your sequencing was intentional, but it was interesting to see a bird in Untitled #6, another dead in Untitled #10 and then "resurrected" in Untitled #15. I have to assume, however, that it was intentional with your opening photograph of feet in Untitled #1 and then again in your closing image, Untitled #20.

I like this work. Photography can take on many forms, Natalia, and I’m often drawn to work that challenges the traditional norm, such as Sophie Calle's. If this narrative feels right to you, I would pursue it by adding additional images, which will strengthen the series.

Best of luck,

Charles