Lee Friedlander (born July 14, 1934) is an American photographer and artist. In the 1960s and 70s, working primarily with 35mm cameras and black and white film, Friedlander evolved an influential and often imitated visual language of urban "social landscape," with many of the photographs including fragments of store-front reflections, structures framed by fences, posters and street-signs. Friedlander now works primarily with medium format cameras (e.g. Hasselblad Superwide). While suffering from arthritis and housebound, he focused on photographing his surroundings. His book, Stems, reflects his life during the time of his knee replacement surgery. He has said that his "limbs" reminded him of plant stems.
From his collection Stems:
From his work in New York in the 60's:
Offered up by Tess as a Magpie prompt:
In Dim Light
You have shadowed me
for years, taking your cold shots
and covering me,
blocking what light shines
on me, dim at best most times.
I can't shake you off.
You say it's your art
And I say it's a damn pain.
I don't know what she
says, but she loves you.
Go figure that one, you shit.
Figure why she should.
December 18, 2011 11:18 AM
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Just in case, campers, that you wonder why I do such things as put together this Lee Friedlander post, this is me on assignment, learning about somebody who has done something with his life while I do something with mine.
ReplyDeleteThose first few lines say it all! LOL
ReplyDeleteAhhh....we are all fans of the shadow......... ;)
ReplyDeleteExcellent write!
thanks for more insight into Lee Friedlander....great post!
ReplyDeletei like how there is no mystery man in your poem, it's just the photog who's a pain in the butt
ReplyDeleteLove this...I think my husband feels the same when I wield my camera...and thanks for the information on Friedland.
ReplyDeletei go off and wonder on the nature of love and how we imprint upon one another. i begin to wonder on the nature of art, as well. the shot just above the poem is like a shadow to your two last lines, go figure that one, you shit. figure why she should. sometimes to find the source of why in love is impossible. sometimes the shadow of love exists without the animate casting it, or so it seems time to time.
ReplyDeletei enjoy learning of this photographer. i'm just now spending time with the photographs of vivian maier. there are similarities, and yet universes that separate these two. any two.
xo
erin
xo
erin
Thanks for the background on the photographer, because his work is fab. I especially like the last one, forcing us to be aware that there is a world outside the subject in a portrait (namely, the photographer), a piece equally crucial to understanding it. Nice take on it as well; those crossed arms make a lot of sense now.
ReplyDeleteThe shadow knows ... and so do you!
ReplyDeleteLOL ... always blame the art :P
ReplyDelete~Shawna
(rosemarymint.wordpress.com)
Made you laugh, Jinsky!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mimi and Kathe.
zongrik, I have had those guys in my life who are doing their thing at the expense of something of mine!
Susie, I guess we all accommodate each other when we have to :S
Erin, glad I made you think. Thinking about the nature of love is a very good spiritual exercise IMHO.
Joseph, I think that is what Lee intends imposing his shadow, that there is more to this than meets the ordinary eye. I am glad you caught the crossed arms. That helped me look more clearly at why I went to my cynical side.
Helen: *snort*
Shawna, I gotta blame someone!
Oh yeah, zongrik, I am so swayve that I NEVER do my stuff at anyone else's expense! Um...swayve??
ReplyDeleteRaw and honest Christopher!
ReplyDelete