Charlotte Cotton writes- More photography has been created for the gallery walls in the last decade than any other period of the medium's history. And the most prominent, and probably the most frequently used, style has been that of the deadpan aesthetic: a cool, detatched and keenly sharp type of photography. Here the reader is at the mercy of the leveling out that occurs when photographs are reproduced in a book. The monumental scale and breathtaking visual clarity that predominate when one experiences the photographic print need to be kept in mind. But what can still be seen in a glance if one looks through the images in this chapter is the seeming emotional detachment and command an the part of the photographers. The adoption of the deadpan aesthetic moves art photography outside of the hyperbolic, sentimental and subjective. These pictures may engage us with emotive subjects, but our sense of what the photographer's emotions might be is not the obvious guide to understanding the meaning of the images. The emphasis, then, is on photography as a way of mapping the extent of the forces, invisible from a single human standpoint, that govern the man-made and the natural world. Deadpan photography may be highly specific in its description of its subjects, but its seeming neutrality and tonality of vision is of epic proportions. Oxford Tire Pile #8 Westley, California, 1999 Edward Burtynsky's photography is a prime example of what Cotton describes as the "deadpan" aesthetic. From his artitst's statement- Nature transformed through industry is a predominant theme in my work. I set course to intersect with a contemporary view of the great ages of man; from stone, to minerals, oil, transportation, silicon, and so on. To make these ideas visible I search for subjects that are rich in detail and scale yet open in their meaning. Recycling yards, mine tailings, quarries and refineries are all places that are outside of our normal experience, yet we partake of their output on a daily basis. These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear. We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as reflecting pools of our times. Shipbreaking #5, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2000 Shipbreaking #12 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Shipbreaking #21 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Shipbreaking #1 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Deda Chicken Processing Plant, Dehui City, Jilin Province, 2005 Questions on Burtynsky's work- 1. After reading Burtynsky's statement and seeing some photographs, how do you think his work fits into Cotton's definition of the "deadpan" aesthetic? 2. How would you compare Burtynsky's work to a more traditonal landscape phtotographer, like Ansel Adams? 3. How do you think Burtynsky's photographs create, as he says, a "dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear."
Fan of detective TV shows and movies? One of your nighttime hobbies includes binge-watching true crime shows on Netflix? Well, now is a perfect time to prove it!
The silent-film star's deadpan style combined with his kinetic energy have inspired today's most acclaimed stars. Nicole Davis explores the actor and filmmaker's remarkable work.
Charlotte Cotton writes- More photography has been created for the gallery walls in the last decade than any other period of the medium's history. And the most prominent, and probably the most frequently used, style has been that of the deadpan aesthetic: a cool, detatched and keenly sharp type of photography. Here the reader is at the mercy of the leveling out that occurs when photographs are reproduced in a book. The monumental scale and breathtaking visual clarity that predominate when one experiences the photographic print need to be kept in mind. But what can still be seen in a glance if one looks through the images in this chapter is the seeming emotional detachment and command an the part of the photographers. The adoption of the deadpan aesthetic moves art photography outside of the hyperbolic, sentimental and subjective. These pictures may engage us with emotive subjects, but our sense of what the photographer's emotions might be is not the obvious guide to understanding the meaning of the images. The emphasis, then, is on photography as a way of mapping the extent of the forces, invisible from a single human standpoint, that govern the man-made and the natural world. Deadpan photography may be highly specific in its description of its subjects, but its seeming neutrality and tonality of vision is of epic proportions. Oxford Tire Pile #8 Westley, California, 1999 Edward Burtynsky's photography is a prime example of what Cotton describes as the "deadpan" aesthetic. From his artitst's statement- Nature transformed through industry is a predominant theme in my work. I set course to intersect with a contemporary view of the great ages of man; from stone, to minerals, oil, transportation, silicon, and so on. To make these ideas visible I search for subjects that are rich in detail and scale yet open in their meaning. Recycling yards, mine tailings, quarries and refineries are all places that are outside of our normal experience, yet we partake of their output on a daily basis. These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear. We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as reflecting pools of our times. Shipbreaking #5, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2000 Shipbreaking #12 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Shipbreaking #21 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Shipbreaking #1 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Deda Chicken Processing Plant, Dehui City, Jilin Province, 2005 Questions on Burtynsky's work- 1. After reading Burtynsky's statement and seeing some photographs, how do you think his work fits into Cotton's definition of the "deadpan" aesthetic? 2. How would you compare Burtynsky's work to a more traditonal landscape phtotographer, like Ansel Adams? 3. How do you think Burtynsky's photographs create, as he says, a "dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear."
Circa 1921. (This print has been noticeably retouched, probably for use in a newspaper or other publication.) Circa 1920. Circa 1925. (Four images.) Publicity for "The General", 1927. (Three images.) From "The Electric House", 1922. Circa 1930. (Two images.) Circa 1930-31. 1930. (Two images.) Publicity for "Free and Easy", 1930, posing with a photograph of Lon Chaney. By George Hurrell, 1930. * By Clarence Sinclair Bull, circa 1928. (Three images.) Circa 1930-31. (Two images.) By George Hurrell, 1930. * Sadly, the only photographers I've been able to identify here are George Hurrell and Clarence Sinclair Bull. I recently saw the wonderful Hurrell profile portrait above * in a gorgeous contemporary print by author, photographer, and archivist Mark Alan Vieira; it inspired the whole post. I have to admit that I've not seen much of Keaton's work. And like most people, I'm sure, I've always found him a bit odd-looking; that droopy "Stone Face" and protuberant eyes. But gathering these photographs - always finding far more to share than I'd planned, constitutionally unable to exclude another and yet another "fabulous" image - I began to find that odd face rather beautiful. A strange beauty, beautiful in the way Peter Lorre could be beautiful. I'm grateful that I'm just openminded enough to still allow myself new, broader ideas of what might exemplify that overused and completely subjective word.
Charlotte Cotton writes- More photography has been created for the gallery walls in the last decade than any other period of the medium's history. And the most prominent, and probably the most frequently used, style has been that of the deadpan aesthetic: a cool, detatched and keenly sharp type of photography. Here the reader is at the mercy of the leveling out that occurs when photographs are reproduced in a book. The monumental scale and breathtaking visual clarity that predominate when one experiences the photographic print need to be kept in mind. But what can still be seen in a glance if one looks through the images in this chapter is the seeming emotional detachment and command an the part of the photographers. The adoption of the deadpan aesthetic moves art photography outside of the hyperbolic, sentimental and subjective. These pictures may engage us with emotive subjects, but our sense of what the photographer's emotions might be is not the obvious guide to understanding the meaning of the images. The emphasis, then, is on photography as a way of mapping the extent of the forces, invisible from a single human standpoint, that govern the man-made and the natural world. Deadpan photography may be highly specific in its description of its subjects, but its seeming neutrality and tonality of vision is of epic proportions. Oxford Tire Pile #8 Westley, California, 1999 Edward Burtynsky's photography is a prime example of what Cotton describes as the "deadpan" aesthetic. From his artitst's statement- Nature transformed through industry is a predominant theme in my work. I set course to intersect with a contemporary view of the great ages of man; from stone, to minerals, oil, transportation, silicon, and so on. To make these ideas visible I search for subjects that are rich in detail and scale yet open in their meaning. Recycling yards, mine tailings, quarries and refineries are all places that are outside of our normal experience, yet we partake of their output on a daily basis. These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear. We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as reflecting pools of our times. Shipbreaking #5, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2000 Shipbreaking #12 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Shipbreaking #21 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Shipbreaking #1 Chittagong, Bangladesh 2000 Deda Chicken Processing Plant, Dehui City, Jilin Province, 2005 Questions on Burtynsky's work- 1. After reading Burtynsky's statement and seeing some photographs, how do you think his work fits into Cotton's definition of the "deadpan" aesthetic? 2. How would you compare Burtynsky's work to a more traditonal landscape phtotographer, like Ansel Adams? 3. How do you think Burtynsky's photographs create, as he says, a "dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear."
For Good Behavior, Finnish photographer Iiu Susiraja constructs deadpan self-portraits in which she challenges and reinterprets the feminine domestic role. Using only the most banal of household objects, she elegantly deconstructs contemporary notions of sexuality and womanhood, courageously exposing the vanities of society at large.
Circa 1921. (This print has been noticeably retouched, probably for use in a newspaper or other publication.) Circa 1920. Circa 1925. (Four images.) Publicity for "The General", 1927. (Three images.) From "The Electric House", 1922. Circa 1930. (Two images.) Circa 1930-31. 1930. (Two images.) Publicity for "Free and Easy", 1930, posing with a photograph of Lon Chaney. By George Hurrell, 1930. * By Clarence Sinclair Bull, circa 1928. (Three images.) Circa 1930-31. (Two images.) By George Hurrell, 1930. * Sadly, the only photographers I've been able to identify here are George Hurrell and Clarence Sinclair Bull. I recently saw the wonderful Hurrell profile portrait above * in a gorgeous contemporary print by author, photographer, and archivist Mark Alan Vieira; it inspired the whole post. I have to admit that I've not seen much of Keaton's work. And like most people, I'm sure, I've always found him a bit odd-looking; that droopy "Stone Face" and protuberant eyes. But gathering these photographs - always finding far more to share than I'd planned, constitutionally unable to exclude another and yet another "fabulous" image - I began to find that odd face rather beautiful. A strange beauty, beautiful in the way Peter Lorre could be beautiful. I'm grateful that I'm just openminded enough to still allow myself new, broader ideas of what might exemplify that overused and completely subjective word.
A young Dubliner in Hong Kong struggles to connect in this fresh and funny debut about love and self-knowledge
Circa 1921. (This print has been noticeably retouched, probably for use in a newspaper or other publication.) Circa 1920. Circa 1925. (Four images.) Publicity for "The General", 1927. (Three images.) From "The Electric House", 1922. Circa 1930. (Two images.) Circa 1930-31. 1930. (Two images.) Publicity for "Free and Easy", 1930, posing with a photograph of Lon Chaney. By George Hurrell, 1930. * By Clarence Sinclair Bull, circa 1928. (Three images.) Circa 1930-31. (Two images.) By George Hurrell, 1930. * Sadly, the only photographers I've been able to identify here are George Hurrell and Clarence Sinclair Bull. I recently saw the wonderful Hurrell profile portrait above * in a gorgeous contemporary print by author, photographer, and archivist Mark Alan Vieira; it inspired the whole post. I have to admit that I've not seen much of Keaton's work. And like most people, I'm sure, I've always found him a bit odd-looking; that droopy "Stone Face" and protuberant eyes. But gathering these photographs - always finding far more to share than I'd planned, constitutionally unable to exclude another and yet another "fabulous" image - I began to find that odd face rather beautiful. A strange beauty, beautiful in the way Peter Lorre could be beautiful. I'm grateful that I'm just openminded enough to still allow myself new, broader ideas of what might exemplify that overused and completely subjective word.
Time for another rummage through the vaults of the Digital Comic Museum, and tonight's terrifying tale teaches us that it's always good to think things through, or you could end up paying for your mistakes for a very long time! It appeared in Chamber of Chills 18 (1953) from Harvey Comics! With thanks once again to tilliban who it seems has excellent taste in terrors! And as a special bonus here's another two pages from the same comic!
An art collage from September 2017 by deadpan-97 featuring art
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Samuel Gomez is an artist and designer living and working in New York City. Gomez’s style embodies a ‘hybrid surreal-steampunk’ aestheti…
Circa 1921. (This print has been noticeably retouched, probably for use in a newspaper or other publication.) Circa 1920. Circa 1925. (Four images.) Publicity for "The General", 1927. (Three images.) From "The Electric House", 1922. Circa 1930. (Two images.) Circa 1930-31. 1930. (Two images.) Publicity for "Free and Easy", 1930, posing with a photograph of Lon Chaney. By George Hurrell, 1930. * By Clarence Sinclair Bull, circa 1928. (Three images.) Circa 1930-31. (Two images.) By George Hurrell, 1930. * Sadly, the only photographers I've been able to identify here are George Hurrell and Clarence Sinclair Bull. I recently saw the wonderful Hurrell profile portrait above * in a gorgeous contemporary print by author, photographer, and archivist Mark Alan Vieira; it inspired the whole post. I have to admit that I've not seen much of Keaton's work. And like most people, I'm sure, I've always found him a bit odd-looking; that droopy "Stone Face" and protuberant eyes. But gathering these photographs - always finding far more to share than I'd planned, constitutionally unable to exclude another and yet another "fabulous" image - I began to find that odd face rather beautiful. A strange beauty, beautiful in the way Peter Lorre could be beautiful. I'm grateful that I'm just openminded enough to still allow myself new, broader ideas of what might exemplify that overused and completely subjective word.
