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AUGUST 2009
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Photography
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There was a time when more or less overt references to sex and sensuality were relegated to the pages of men's magazines, where photographers and models, makeup artists and publishers were free to roam the roadmaps of their imaginations. That intimate style was carried forward by a handful of photographers whose craftsmanship and understanding of the medium, as well as of their subjects, opened the doors to a world of commercial opportunity.
It didn't take long for the sovereignty of the '60s and '70s to give way to acceptance that what we see is what we want, and what we want is the antidote to sameness. Robert Mapplethorpe threaded the needle with homoerotic images that eventually made their way onto billboards with boys in Calvin Klein underwear overlooking Times Square. Diane Arbus paved the way for images of catatonic beauties to grace the pages of Vogue and Cosmopolitan in ads for Dolce & Gabana.
Richard Avedon's brilliance with the camera and his eye for color and style, combined with the brutal beauty of his models to provide a cultured look that hadn't been seen before on film. Combine that with Arbus, Mapplethorpe and an individualistic quest for a new way to project an old, if not odd, image, and you have the work of Miles Aldridge.
Aldridge's web site offers an extended portfolio of portraiture, fashion, commercial and other work in a unique format as simple to unlock as pressing the space bar. Be sure to view his biography to understand how time and place were important influences on the work.
"I always want my models to have a kind of blankness of expression, which I don’t see so much as a blankness as that look of contemplation I see on people’s faces when they ride the bus or wait at the airport." -- Miles Aldridge, from an interview with Maya Singer, Style File Blog
For more images and
information about Miles Aldridge,
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JUNE-JULY 2009 |
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The TEXAS that could have been Photo Essay by Jan "J.R." Sprawls Nearly 75 years ago, a corps of photographers financed by public funds set about capturing the look of the country during a time of despair and depression. Here, Jan "J.R." Sprawls, adds to the library of photographic images that presents another frame in the transition from '30s-era Depression, through the short heydey of the '50s before Interstate 40 took the breath out of Route 66, leaving behind a trail of reminders of defeat. Sprawls covers the distance between then and now, as the Texas Panhandle morphs into something other than a forgotten chapter in an age when yesterday's news accumulates with increasing speed and frequency, leaving behind relics of what could have been. And what tomorrow could just as easily resemble. We asked Jan if there were any people left out there.... His reply is in the captions below...
"There are people. Most of these were made within sight, or at least hearing, of Interstate 40. "
"Two things happened. The interstate bypassed the smaller towns, often running a half mile or mile on one side or the other, and with the interstate plus more reliable and comfortable cars people began driving farther between stops."
"So a lot of the smaller towns simply went out of business, and even in towns that are doing well there is often a strip of abandoned or semi-abandoned businesses along the old highway."
"With easier travel, shopping has moved to the larger towns and cities, so once-thriving small communities are reduced to a handful of homes and a convenience store/truck stop at the interstate exit. What is most sad to me is that so many of the local, mom-and-pop businesses are gone."
"The little local places that gave pride and character to a community have given way to endless repetitions of Cracker Barrel, MacDonald's and Flying J."
"People who once would have been business owners are now hired managers and money that would have remained in the community is drained off to corporate headquarters."
"A lot of these towns are still nice places to live, but they are becoming tiny bedroom communities where most of the people dive off to a larger place to shop, work and even go to school."
"One more thing. While this began as an exploration of Route 66 it has branched out and become more a reminiscence of the western two-lane highway."
"Looking again at the photos I sent, only about half were actually made on Route 66."
"Anyway, I am eager to see what you do with these. Thanks for showing them."
Contact:
jrsprawls@aol.com
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