These two small openings in the windows, make my mind race with the possibility of what those individuals are doing. What they are going though.. What they have planned for the day... What are the other people doing??
Michael Wolf's photography reminded me of why I love photography. Unlike Sarah's work in the previous blog, his work required no words for my interest to be sparked and interested. He took my eye to a place that I do not get to usually see. When we think of big cities, one of the most common images to imagine is the skyscrapers. However, how often do we see the buildings straight on, lacking all of the information that makes it a building? Or the insights into all the different windows? One of the reasons that I originally got into video and photo was because people are so interesting. I wanted to document their lives, their moments, their stories. And even though Michael's work is displaying buildings, grids of life, he is still showing life. He is showing it in a way that puts into perspective how small everyone is. He is putting into perspective how large everything else is. Even the buildings that house us all individually. Though this concept has been played with by multiple people over time, every new eye can portray something new, and I feel that he does. He shows us something very simple, and in a very clean way.
Michael Wolf's photography reminded me of why I love photography. Unlike Sarah's work in the previous blog, his work required no words for my interest to be sparked and interested. He took my eye to a place that I do not get to usually see. When we think of big cities, one of the most common images to imagine is the skyscrapers. However, how often do we see the buildings straight on, lacking all of the information that makes it a building? Or the insights into all the different windows? One of the reasons that I originally got into video and photo was because people are so interesting. I wanted to document their lives, their moments, their stories. And even though Michael's work is displaying buildings, grids of life, he is still showing life. He is showing it in a way that puts into perspective how small everyone is. He is putting into perspective how large everything else is. Even the buildings that house us all individually. Though this concept has been played with by multiple people over time, every new eye can portray something new, and I feel that he does. He shows us something very simple, and in a very clean way.
This image shows the building as almost just a texture, and not even an architectonical design. But upon closer examination we see the larger picture, and that allows the brain to follow it to something even larger, what other building surround this one? Where is it? What is it functioning as? So simple, but so so intriguing. How wonderful photography can be when this is accomplished.
So much activity is taking place in this grid shape of a building. The image looks almost flat until you start to focus on the individual images. That is one reason I love this photograph in particular. Because the amount of flatness in the image makes your eyes stop and look for the importance... And then.. then you see it clearly. It's not flat at all, but full of depth and activity.
The spacial arrangement in this one is really nice. The black empty space really exaggerates the sense of loneliness in within the images behind the windows. It reminds me of a movie still with they flash images all together across the screen with simply black to separate the actions. Knowing that it is a photograph though, and seeing people's lives actually arranged in such a isolated space.. Is.. moving.
Michael Wolf is definitely a photographer I plan on revisiting. This was only one series of work, and I could go on and on about it... The rest is just as simply amazing.. Check it
http://www.photomichaelwolf.com/intro/index.html
Good. It is interesting what his work brings up regarding form in its various connotations... specifically how the formal structure of his work parallels the formal structures of our built environment. Perhaps the impact that "living in a grid" has upon the very un grid-like aspects of being a human being.
ReplyDeleteYou should also check out the work of Eric Percher... also deals with ideas of identity and individuality amidst the dehumanizing aspects of corporate structures (both physical and implied)
ReplyDeletehttp://ericpercher.com/