Paris Photo 2015 is like Disneyland. There are great rides, so-so rides, and some horrifically bad ones. It’s a Fantasyland of visual expression.
http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/about
As a photographer, and one who truly loves other people’s pictures, I try not to be critical, but when I see so many photographs in one place, my mind immediately goes into contest judging mode. I can’t help but sort the vast display of work into winners and losers categories. And that’s how most people look at art, whether they admit it or not, especially if they want to buy something.
(#1) To enter Photo Fantasyland, VIP guests got the red carpet runway and servers hoisting trays of champagne greeted their arrival. The effect was to make sure the attendees felt like rich celebrities who would then open their purses and wallets to purchase some of the work. Some of them actually were rich celebrities!
(#1a-2) Because I love the Paramount lot, and used to have an office there, I really appreciated the layout of Paris Photo. They brilliantly incorporated the flavor of big Hollywood into a really workable and enjoyable gallery experience. The exhibitions were mounted both in store fronts on the New York back lot, and in three large sound stages. For those who had never been on the grounds of a big picture studio, it was worth going for that alone. http://www.paramountstudios.com/stages-backlots/new-york-street.html
But the real stars of this movie were the photographs. Because I didn’t have time to see every single display, my impressions are more of a snapshot than a fine photo. I’m sure I missed some gems, but I don’t miss missing the clunkers.
(#3) One of the sponsors of Paris Photo is J.P. Morgan Chase whose incredible art collection was personally started in 1959 by David Rockefeller. Their archive features more than 30,000 artworks, and thousands of them are photographs. What’s particularly impressive is that they spread them around among their facilities so their employees and customers can enjoy the work. Bank of America, a competitor of Chase, but a kindred spirit in the field of sharing their art, also has a vast and important collection. They go one step further in making it available to communities where everyone can enjoy and appreciate it. http://museums.bankofamerica.com/arts/AIOC
Part of J.P. MorganChase’s mandate, according to their literature, is to, “provoke new perspectives.” Their selection of Therry Fontaine’s, “Une ile de plus, 2003” photo to represent their enormous and wonderful photographic collection at Paris Photo both provoked and perplexed me. The photograph shows ocean waves through a coiled hand. At first I thought it was some kind of a joke, the inept and technically clumsy work of a child who had just discovered a camera for the first time. It is trick photography masquerading as vision, and unfortunately is what their curator apparently thinks is a serious work of art. To me it is a serious embarrassment to the photo community. http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/program/2015/spotlight-photography-from-the-jpmorgan-chase-art-collection
J.P. Morgan Private Bank, in partnership with Paris Photo, announced the, “INTRODUCING! Young California Photographer Award,” honoring an individual currently enrolled in a California MFA photography program. Congratulations to this year’s winner CJ Heyliger of UCLA. I can’t help feeling, however, that the MFA requirement for this award is a bit elitist and should be opened up to a broader field. Some of the greatest art in history and, in fact on display at Paris Photo this year, was made without the benefit of an MFA, but flying solo and exhibiting talent, drive, extraordinary vision, and sacrifice. I’m sure any of them would have appreciated a boost from a big corporation! http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/news/cj-heyliger-wins-the-first-introducing-young-california-photographer-award
(#4-5) My first stop inside the exhibition was at the Garis & Hahn booth on Stage 14. What caught my eye, although it was pretty hard to see without binoculars, was a teeny, tiny photo with an oversized matte that dwarfed the photo. Unfortunately the framing concept was better than the picture. http://garisandhahn.com/
(#6) If you’re at all acrophobic you will be scared by Belgian artist Antoine Rose’s series “Up In the Air” taken from a helicopter above several beaches, and presented by the Samuel Maenhoudt Gallery. I found them highly entertaining and delightful. http://www.samuelmaenhoudt.com/en/artists/12/antoine-rose-bel.html
(#7) Tom Evangelidis was at Sydney. Australia’s Black Eye Gallery. His pictures were evolutionary architecture photos that were strong, and have a political overtone.
http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/exhibitors/black-eye-gallery
(#8) Zoe Crosher’s solo show, “Out the Window, LAX” made me want to draw the blinds. The photos reminded me of 1950s motel postcards, but not nearly as compelling. http://www.lamgalleryla.squarespace.com/zoe-crosher
(#9) Desiree Dolron’s Rembrandt-like portraits were a big hit with me. Based on a childhood experience, they have a magical and mysterious quality that reveals great technical and emotional skill. It was one of the best shows at Paris Photo. http://grimmgallery.com/artists/desiree-dolron/
(#10) The flavor of Paris Photo as you strolled down the back streets of the studio was evident in the colorful outdoor cafes and other places to relax along the way. People are not only looking at the photography, but at each other.
(#11) Anton Corbijn’s photo of Mick Jagger dressed as a woman shown in Taschen’s Gallery on the New York City back lot was perfect. I first photographed Mick in 1966 when the Stones played Portland, Oregon on their first U.S. tour, and my how he’s changed! http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/exhibitors/taschen
(#12) So whose idea was it to show a bunch of Francois Fontaine’s out of focus photos at the Leica Gallery of all places? Okay, okay, I know it’s supposed to be art, but if I’d submitted those photos in to the editors at the Oregonian when I was starting out as a young photographer, I would have been fired, and they would have locked the door behind me. I much preferred the brilliant, (and sharp), black and white work of David Alan Harvey from a story he shot in Brazil displayed in the same space. Harvey’s photos would make you want to buy a Leica, and Fontaine’s would make you want to throw yours away. I’ll stick with my Canons. http://us.leica-camera.com/World-of-Leica/Leica-News/About-Leica-News/Global/2015/Leica-at-Paris-Photo-LA http://www.burnmagazine.org/essays/2014/07/crazed-in-rio/
(#13) I thought the surf-related photography of LeRoy Grannis from Southern California in the 60’s was fantastic. You could practically hear Beach Boys music emanating from every shot. The images are cultural history embodied in photos that represent what every kid my age wanted to be back then. http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/artists/leroy-grannis
(#14) I LOVED German artist Martin Liebscher’s “Brain Institute, 2015.” The work was made in Cammilleri Hall at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California. (My son Nick is a USC music student, so that had to be part of Martin’s inspiration!). He accomplishes this artistic cloning by digitally processing photos that he takes of himself. I’m now a card-carrying member of the Martin Liebscher Fan Club. http://www.martinasbaek.com/Artists/Martin-Liebscher
(#15) One of the most stunning works in the show is, “Fred with Tires,” an arresting image by Herb Ritts from thirty years ago. I appreciated the way it was placed above a utilitarian-looking motorcycle, and directly across the hall from a photo you would have to say was the polar opposite. I knew Herb, who was not only a brilliant photographer, but a wonderful human being. Represented by Hamiltons, London http://www.hamiltonsgallery.com/artists/40-herb-ritts/overview/
(#16) At first I thought the Ralph Gibson nudes were by Bill Brandt. They bore a remarkable similarity to him. Gibson’s compositions are excellent, and his use of black and white very Brandt-like. They showed at the Etherton space. http://www.ethertongallery.com/html/artist_detail.php?recordID=4
(#17) A really pleasant surprise was the Pan American Gallery. They had two stimulating pieces, Joe Goode’s untitled collage and painting, (on the left), and M.M. Perez Bravo’s giant, “Cuanto Encontro para Vencer, 2000.” The gallery also featured the classic and iconic Che Guevera photo by Korda that I have always wanted on my wall. http://panamericanart.com/
(#18) A photographer who takes some really disturbing but masterful photos is Liu Bolin, represented by the Klein Sun Gallery of New York. You have to look twice to see what’s going on in his pictures. The one I found particularly provocative was of a group of people painted to blend into the landscape behind them. Very spooky, but a photo you can really spend time viewing. Liu, who started out as a performance artist, incorporates himself and others into landscapes with chameleon-like and great artistic efficiency mixed with a twist of poitics. http://www.kleinsungallery.com/artist/Liu_Bolin/works/
(#19) Alex Timmermans is a 19th Century photographer living in the 21st, and is a master of his craft. I was entranced by his photography. Timmermans uses the 1850s collodion wet plate process shot on a view camera to make his images. Here he poses with his model for this series Ferry van der Vliet, (at left), who also helps him with the processing of the images. He is represented by Voila! http://voilaworld.com/collections/alex-timmermans
(#20) The Paramount back lot housed the entrance to the California Unedited! The gallery with photos from The Archives of R.J. Arnold, who was a Central California portrait photographer from the late 19th Century, features prints made from restored glass plates. Arnold retouched pictures to make people look younger, a big hit with his subjects, and was an early, early precursor to Photoshop. The photos also prove that vanity isn’t anything new. http://www.parisphoto.com/losangeles/program/2015/california-unedited-the-archives-of-rj-arnold
(#21) A “before and after” example of A.J. Arnold’s work that documents his retouching skills.
(#22) The vivid work of Moroccan-born Hassan Hajjaj intrigued me for his photos, and his really clever and artistic framing. One New York Times writer called the work, “dazzling photo-portraits that are dynamic transcultural documents.” Couldn’t have said it better. http://www.gusfordgallery.com/artists/30-hassan-hajjaj/works/
(#23) As I walked out of the exhibition, I saw an empty glass on a ledge, and framed a woman talking on the phone as my last shot of the show. But you didn’t need wine to enjoy the show, although having a few sips before looking at some of the lesser work would definitely have helped.
(#24) As a parting shot I took a picture of my wife Rebecca’s shoes that got more positive comments than some of the picture at Paris Photo!
Overall the show was a real success, and I can’t wait to go back next year.
FESTIVAL
Paris Photo Los Angeles
May 1st – 3rd, 2015
Paramount Pictures Studios
Los Angeles
780 N. Gower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
United States
