(Courtesy: Irving Penn)
(Courtesy: Gerhard Richter )
(Courtesy: Zoe Leonard)I decided to take one day off as my gallery tour. I visited National Portrait Gallery and viewed Irving Penn show. Unlike other glamour portraiture photographer, his studio is full of unique props. There are threads, blanket covered table or bench, and the famous corner etc. His lighting is dramatic by always using sided contrasty system so the tonal effect is very rich and character stands out so overwhelmingly. He believed he could catch the spiritual inside world of sitters. His framing changed from half or full figure in 50-60’s to close-up in 70-80’s. The texture of skin, the intriguing eyes, different prop set up and beautiful dramatic lighting are outstanding. This reminds me of Gerhard Richter show in 2008 at NPG. I remember I was confused by his style. Gerhard believes portraiture is just portraiture, you can not tell much of the sitter’s inside simply by image, which is also quite intriguing.
I went to see Deutsche Borse Photography Prize show every year. As I started my intensive photography studies from late 2009, I was curious of my reaction of the show this year. The study makes the difference somehow, and I found all of the nominees’ work very conceptual engaging. I particularly like Zoe Leonard. Her works include a chronicler of the overlooked urban landscapes during the last 30 years especially shop facades. With the time factor, her work creates a deep and powerful feeling how the world we live daily has been experiencing constant change. Anna Fox’s snappy style on interesting daily subjects, Donovan Wylie’s formalism approach on Maze, and Sophie Ristelhueber’s conceptual Eleven Blowups are the strong impressions I had in general.
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