Doug Dubois, My Sister Lise, Christmas Eve, Far Hills, NJ, 1984, courtesy of Higher Pictures.
The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) Show ended yesterday at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. We sent Amani Olu, Whitewall’s resident expert on collecting contemporary photography, to come up with a Wish List. To our delight Olu, a curator at heart, turned his list into a mini exhibit.
This is a five-image mini exhibition of works that draw on different photo techniques to capture interesting everyday moments.
(Above) Doug Dubois, My Sister Lise, Christmas Eve, Far Hills, NJ, 1984, courtesy of Higher Pictures.
In his series, “Family Photo (1984-1992),” Dubois concentrates primarily on his family and how they respond to change and internal hardship. In this photograph, Dubois depicts a lively and intimate moment of his sister, Lise, as she hurriedly prepares for a night out. Layers of clothes strewn throughout the room and toiletries scattered about the dresser, juxtaposed with Lise’s focus on her outfit, serve as a metaphor for the loss of time, a reoccurring theme in Dubois’ work.
Jeff Wall, Man In The Street, 1985, courtesy of Robert Miller Gallery.
Best known for his life size tableau color photographs, Wall, unlike Dubois does not manage time; instead he creates it based on personal eyewitness accounts. “Man In The Street” is a unique, staged Vancouver street scene that tells the story of a man who appears to be homeless and battling mental illness. In one frame he is smiling, albeit disturbed, in the next frame, he is expressionless, contemplative and detached. There is no information or context to establish the man’s identity, and the blood on his face and jacket is also a mystery. By restaging this moment, Wall is able to communicate his experience, while effectively challenging photography’s truth telling capabilities.
Phillip Mazaud, Photographer, 1999, courtesy of Michael Foley Gallery.
Mazaud, using an 8 x 10 inch view camera, makes straight photographs of deserted, banal and non-descript places that appear to have no human purpose. In this picture, Mazaud uses available light and selective cropping to create a set-let image that is subtle, yet eerily tense. Slowly building on this tension are the two display photographs, one of smiling woman, the other of a happy family. These pictures, which would normally go unnoticed, now take on a foreshadowing effect. Choosing to use black-and-white film and photographing at night, rather than in daylight, when the photo studio is open and far less menacing, Mazaud is able to transform the photo studio from friendly to frightening.
Jeff Mermelstein, Run #9, 1999-2000, courtesy of Rick Wester Fine Art.
In his “Run” series, Mermelstein, famous for his candid snapshots, takes photographs of people running in crowded New York streets. His sensibility for capturing the most compelling moment is made clear in Run #9. In this picture, Mermelstein photographs a well-dressed man running against traffic. Even though the subject is sprinting to his next appointment, he is photographed effortlessly, with style, grace and coordination. The flawlessness of this picture is telling of Mermelstein’s signature style.
Elaine Mayes, Michael Jackson, 1987, courtesy of Yale Burge Antiques.
Mayes’ project, “Portraits of People on Television,” is a smart, pre TiVo/DVR portraiture series of celebrities that include Bob Dylan and Debbie Harry, among others. These postmodernist portraits capture celebrities in a familiar setting, Dylan as compassionate and earnest, Harry as young blonde bombshell. This is further evidenced in Mayes’ portrait of Michael Jackson, who, with eyes closed, gently holding the microphone, is trying to save the world.
Amani Olu (b. 1980) is a private dealer, independent curator, and the founder and executive director of Humble Arts Foundation. He recently produced and designed The Collector’s Guide to Emerging Art Photography, published by Humble Arts Foundation. His most recent exhibitions include the group show Revisiting America and solo exhibition Home Theater, photographs by Bradley Peters. He lives and works in Brooklyn.
