Monday, August 31, 2009

Decisions, decisions...


At the Diane Arbus exhibition at SF MOMA some years back I was really struck by seeing some of her contacts. I think what was so revealing and fun about that was seeing the contact sheet of the "Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in the Bronx, NY 1970". I had first seen this image at MOMA when i was in high school and it had always fascinated me. Seeing the contact was interesting because most of the photos seemed tender and sweet and somehow that surprised me. Seeing the contact demystified that image for me but gave me a keen appreciation for the editing process. In that spirit I'm offering up two new images from my series of Home photographs. I think both are intense portraits of my mom talking on the phone, the top image a bit more subtle and the bottom somewhat more menacing. I'm finding it very difficult to choose. Maybe the decision will happen later as the work keeps growing but I'd love to hear what you think, so please cast your vote!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

the second one...
her gaze is direct and her character is bold
the lighting is stronger
do i get a copy of the print for being the first to comment?!?! :) xoxo

ruby rojo said...

I like the second one too; I actually find it less ominous than the first because of the lighting.

blackgirlnamedbecky said...

Well the second one packs more punch. Everything in the frame feels like it's on the verge of jumping out of the space. Something very unsettling about it.

Charlotta said...

I could see them together. Check out Richard Avedon´s portrait of Samuel Beckett. Good luck!

Hannah (Half) Nelson said...

i don't even remember which one i liked when i first saw this contact. but right now here is what i like about the 2nd one most (besides its obvious drama, which you know is my style, and not reason enough to lend my thoughts): the drapery framing the top, the window split between dark and light, the flower vase above mom's head, the way her chair fades away because it's more similar to the yellow wall, the phone cord which moves your eye upwards, mom's hair is so classic even when she's in her jammys, the chair to the right as opposed to the chair directly behind her balances things. i'd love to see you bring out the texture of her hand and the contours of her facial structure in the final print (burn, baby, burn!). i love and miss you, and your fab prints!

Justine Reyes said...

Thanks for the great feedback! Seems like more people are responding to the second one. i took a facebook poll too, but i still don't know... I think its gonna be an editing decision when i get down to the whole series. I'll be posting more images from this series soon. :)