I have been making photographs for the past 40 years. My subject matter has primarily been portraits of artists. These images were made during studio visits, on trips with the artists, on vacations, in our gallery, or in my informal studio in a garage behind the gallery.
I have always been intrigued by artists, their images, and also how they look. In the beginning, I felt others may also be interested in how these individuals appear and present themselves in front of the camera. I set out to record and make an encyclopedic record of my time in the world of Fine Art of Photography. Francis Bacon said, “chance and accident are the most fertile things at any artists’ disposal.” Capturing a certain serendipity is an objective. Most of these portraits were made spontaneously, no assistance, no pre-conceived planning, and in most instances – very little time. I enjoy working within these perimeters. I always welcomed the challenge to capture the spirit and personality of these most unique subjects.
A powerful portrait is created with cooperation and is a collaboration between the subject and the photographer. Each responds to signals from the other. The ability to give and receive these signals determines the success of the sitting. The way a person stands or sits often discloses the way a person thinks, thus revealing the posture of the mind.
Every time I make a picture I know this moment will not come again. There is something historical, creative, and exciting about documenting the faces of talented individual artists who in some cases change the way we think and interpret our lives. In my view, art is whatever “changes you”, transforms your thinking, and makes you recalibrate your perception.
Essentially, the portrait is just a fragment of the person but it is often the most telling part. This fragment only reveals a part of a whole which consequently can make the portrait seem mysterious – leaving us more to interpret and imagine. In my view, photographic portraits should never say everything. The less said, the more there is to be interpreted by the viewer – and said by someone else. More importantly, I primarily take portraits for the sheer pleasure of making photographs.
David Fahey
