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(8) Natalie Shau

Natalie Shau is a photographer and illustrator from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. She works mainly in digital media and her works are a mix between photo manipulation, drawing/painting, 3D elements.


According to her profile, her style "was influenced a lot by religious imagery, fairytales illustrations classic horror literature and Russian classic literature such as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gogol etc." A lot of this is very evident and can be seen throughout her pieces. Some have an "Alice In Wonderland" feel, while others portray pure horror. That might have been what drew me to Natalie Shau's work. They're very surreal, very odd characters.


Some of her characters, especially ones from her photo works, are of bare breasted women, whether it's both breasts or just one. There's a certain powerfulness about them, as well as a fragility. They make me wonder about the story and situation: how they got to where they are and why they're in such bad circumstances that they're faces are flowing with tearful mascara and/or they're trapped within the space unable to escape. Perhaps the suspense Natalie Shau proposes is what makes her pieces so captivating.

(7) Winkler+Noah

Italian photographers Romina Raffaelli and Stefano Marini make up the trademarked Winkler+Noah. Together they have photographed and created many different ideas that make you take a second look. In their series called "The Puppet Show", they depict different children having the complete look of a doll, which creates irony between the way children are seen and viewed in real, every day life, as well as the way dolls are depicted: flawless and innocent.

On their website, they describe this series saying, "They talk, laugh, dance and joke....like children. Because that’s what they are. Children we ask too much of, to be perfect, like dolls. Children who have become sons and daughters of perfection, pretense and image, manipulated by the media and the social context and who are inevitably losing their naturalness." Too often we put such pretenses on children as they grow up leaving them with different feelings on how they have to look and act and deal with the every day, which is something I personally despise. Perhaps this is why I am so intrigued by this series.

Another series they did that intrigued me is called "The Witness", where 20 different people in their 20's are depicted as being blind as a result from being "on the other side of the wall." They have no way of visualizing the real world at hand. Of course, the first thing that catches your eye when you view a piece like the one above is the subject's eyes that are covered up by a white patina. It's almost as if you think they might be completely blind like they suggest, or that their eyes are just light and foggy. But once you look at the entire series, you see different faces, and of course more white patina covered eyes, but you also see a very strong and tight composition. All you have to think about is what emotions are each of them going through, and wonder just what they imaginatively see in the complete darkness which is their vision.

(6) Steve Poxson

Steve Poxson's strange photography shows the world from a different viewpoint. One that I can't even understand. Though these particular works were formed on a flatbed scanner, these aren't the only work he does. However, it's without a doubt the most interesting and compelling in comparison.


In his series "Abnormal Beauty" he takes two conventionally beautiful subjects, such as flowers or fruit (like the two images above) and has them juxtaposed to another item that doesn't seem to belong, such as raw meat or skulls. Something about their differences make them beautiful, and quite striking if nothing else. You can't help but notice the dissimilarities and plain oddness as they sit together.


His other work almost looks scientific in nature. He has flies and mice, bees and what seem to be roaches. They are almost perfectly spaced and positioned in every angle so you can see just how the look, or even how they function. Just like the grids we viewed in class of the water towers, at first glance they seem the same, but with a little time and effort to actually look at them, they are all quite different. Maybe not so much in functionality, but in form.

(5) - Uta Barth

The photographer I chose to blog about this week is also one I chose to do my "Place" presentation on. Uta Barth is a contemporary photographer. She was born in Berlin, but now lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Most of her photographs are out of focus or oddly framed. Such experimentation with this depth of field, framing and use of being in and out of focus is consistent throughout her work.


Much like we discussed in class, perhaps the reason why many of her shots are out of focus was to take emphasis away from what was actually in the shot and put more emphasis on the space between. Air. It's in every picture we've ever seen, but no one ever suggests it. That's what makes Uta Barth's work less descriptive and more suggestive. It's a very interesting twist on photography because our eyes are so accustomed to seeing exactly what the picture represents. Little do we think to focus on the what can't be seen.


Another topic we discussed was the passage of time. I love how she represents that in some of her diptychs; this one in particular. Sure, it's just a picture of shadow and light, but it also represents movement and maybe even touches on the notion that all things are ephemeral. That's how this particular work makes me feel as well as the first photo at the top. Things just pass on by. It's just a matter of time until they've passed and gone on to someplace else.

It took a bit of time to grasp some of the things Uta Barth is trying to communicate with her viewers, but once I understood it a little bit more, I really began to like her work more and more, and actually came to appreciate it. Too often I just look at a photograph and think, "Man, there's nothing to this. What's the point?" But maybe if I, or we, could dig more into the thoughts and concepts of these artists, we could also gain something from their very own mindset. I really like that.

(4) Lyndon Wade

Lyndon Wade is a photographer that creates a sort of narrative in each of his images, or series of images. His digital artistry illuminates his ability to create such narratives. These seem to create a story. What that story is, awesomely enough, it dependent on what you make it.

Although original photography without digital enhancements can create narratives, being able to change or manipulate photographs adds extra emphasis and allows the artist to create whatever they want. Whether it creates a storyline the author is trying to depict themselves or whether he or she wants to create something that allows the viewer to make their own storyline is now available to them. This is exactly what Lyndon Wade is doing.

Each subject is "in a kind of suspended animation" as his website states. Each image is quirky, humorous, strange, confusing, and sometimes even scary. How each person perceives these is a bit different. Since the images are in such a "suspended animation", you just know that each subject has a thought, or perhaps many thoughts going on at once. You almost have to wonder what's going on in their heads. And what about the artist? The subject and subject matter is almost always strange in some way, or strangely arranged. I can't help but wonder if Lyndon Wade himself is either just a very creative fellow or very disturbed. Maybe he's both. Nevertheless, his work seems to evade your comfort zone and pushes you to make assumptions of your own. Very nice.

(3) Loretta Lux

The artist I chose this week is Loretta Lux. Ever since we lightly perused her works in class, they have really stuck out in my mind as being almost scary, but also fascinating. They're portraits, but they're not average portraits. They employ you to look deeper.



The works of Loretta Lux are, like I said, a bit scary while also being fascinating. I don't just look at the children and think, "My goodness, theses are beautiful children." At least those aren't my first thoughts. Instead, I see very plain faces with little background. Nothing distracts my eye. They're simple. The children look like maybe they've suffered, yet survived, horrible events. It's as if everything has gone cold and all the happiness in the world has been sucked out. You don't want to look at it too long, and if you do (for me at least) I feel like they can see into my soul.

Perhaps this is why they evoke more than one emotion. They're children. Innocent and pure. Yet, you look at them and every question in the world comes to mind. I want to know who they are and who they belong to. Loretta Lux also puts an interesting feature on her subjects. Their bodies are not anatomically correct. Their heads seem twice as big as they should be. Also, the heads she uses don't always quite match the body on which it sits. Why is that? I'm not sure what sense that makes, but maybe that's the point. I'm not sure. Doing this definitely makes you look harder at the subjects and, for me, wonder what it is that they want. Their blankness consumes my every thought when I look at them. I never have an answer for them. Just questions.

(2) Jerry Yoon

My artist of the week is Jerry Yoon. Jerry is a photographer based out of Oakland, California. Yes, he's predominately a wedding photographer, but he's a rather good one.

I was introduced to Jerry Yoon by a friend just this week. After looking over his work, I decided he was worth the mention. You can view his personal website by clicking the title above. Normally, even though wedding photographs are usually quite lovely in some sense of the word, Yoon takes it a bit further. Not only does he focus on his subjects, but he also adds great attention to the surroundings, the people, the emotions, the "things". He adds an extra punch into his work by not just putting focus on the couples we see, but the beauty that surrounds them. Beauty should surround them. Marriage - although it seems almost silly these days because of the inclining percentage of divorce rate and everything that comes with it - is still considered one of the most beautiful occasions we could ever experience. Everything around couples in love should radiate. Yoon brings this out in them through his photography, and he does it well. We have no way of knowing what the future holds for these people, but Yoon almost forces you to believe that their love and happiness is absolutely nothing near ephemeral. He brings out the "forever" in them.

I am so happy to see that real smiles can exist in photographs. Especially in wedding photos. Not only am I happy to see real smiles, but I am excited to see pictures that almost bring about a sense of anxiety. Pre-wedding photographs usually involve moms and dads and bridesmaids. These are wonderful subjects, but they are purely face value. Yoon seems to capture it all and I appreciate that. I feel as if he knows exactly what is beautiful, even if it is something tiny. He's not afraid to include the little things. Knowing this makes me appreciate his work that much more. Wedding days are meant to be absolutely perfect and beautiful, and Yoon doesn't disappoint. If anything, he makes that day last forever. What's not to like?

(1) Cale Glendening

Cale Glendening is a freelance filmmaker and photographer from Muskogee, OK. Though he is young in age (23), he is quite impressive behind any kind of camera. He has traveled the world shooting and directing for all sorts of clients. According to his website, he has already worked for Red Bull, Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), MTV, Current TV, Tiger Army, and Relient K. Specifically about his photography though, he is quite versatile. He doesn't leave his talents to any specific genre. He does everything from band photos and portraits to landscapes, campaigns, and lifestyles. I find his lifestyle photos to be the most captivating, although he brings a certain vibrancy to all his photos. You can view all of this and more on his website (which can be located by clicking the title of this post).

I first heard about Cale Glendening a few years ago through friends who are in a band called I Am Terrified based out of Birmingham, AL. He followed them on tour in 2007 taking live photos, behind-the-scenes photos, and some portraits. Out of all the photographers they went through over the years, I found him to be the most impressive and well-rounded. I still keep up with him and his work today because I enjoy seeing what he does with every new opportunity he receives. I also admire his work ethics as far as putting himself out there to the big dogs in the media industries, but still having the level head not to get too consumed with it, remaining available for the little guys as well.

He is now based in Los Angeles, California seemingly doing more work with film-making rather than photographing. Currently he is doing work in Honolulu, Hawaii. I have e-mailed him asking for specifics so you all might want to check back for an update if you're interested. I believe he has stupendous potential to do great things in his life with his talents. He is already on a great path to great success, whether it be personal or worldly. Just from following the blogs on his website I know that he is a humble artist and has a deep appreciation for the people around him and that is something that is hard to find generally in the people around you, much less the people out there doing great things. He is, for sure, someone to keep an eye on in the future.

---Update---

I have received an e-mail back from Cale pertaining to his current work. Right now he is doing a photo campaign for Tower Inspection. Tower Inspection has hired him several times in the past to work all over the globe including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, as well as Japan. All of the towers are for the Air Force, Navy, or Coast Guard. He states, "I take photos of these towers for documentation as well as the crews working on them. Suspending from a single line at 1200 ft to take a photograph of a steel working is a giant rush! I also take pride knowing these are being built for our government and national defense. I have always been pro military so it is an honor contributing photos for them." His other efforts have been on a feature film called "Deathless" for the band Throwdown which had scenes aired this past week on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball.