A Different Kind of Love

By a different kind of love, I mean not in the 'food is love' sense from the last post that contained my images.  There is a certain relationship that photographers have with those they are photographing and a different relationship that those being pictured have with each other (when there is more than one person in the photograph).  I kept those relationships in mind as I chose the following exhibition photographs.  Feel free to enjoy this dynamical relationship with me...

Sally Mann

Candy Cigarette

1989, gelatin silver print, 66 x 76 cm; courtesy Gagosian Gallery

The Family and The Land

The Hague Museum of Photography

26 September 2009 - 10 January 2010

Stadhouderslaan 43

2517 HV Den Haag
Netherlands

Yes, you caught me.  I'm so much of a Sally Mann junkie that I'm using her exhibitions two weeks in a row.  But keep in mind that these are two different Mann exhibitions in two different parts of the world... not to mention my different intentions.  Who knows, maybe I'll find yet another Sally Mann exhibition in a few weeks.  Quick story: a coworker at my new job asked me a get-to-know-you question, wondering if I could hang out with anyone at all, who would it be.  He looked at me all sorts of oddly when I replied 'Sally Mann' and explained who she is.  I know, I know.  And of course I had a little battle in my head as to whether I should have said Sally Mann or John Dugdale.  In actuality, it's a big toss up because I *heart* John Dugdale and his work.  If you don't know of him, I dare you to check out his website, his work and read his biography.  He is worth the time, I promise! Woah, anyway, Sally Mann became very well known largely because of photographs of her children.  Her kids are beautiful and always seem to have extremely visually striking expressions.  This photograph, Candy Cigarette, is well known in her portfolio and is quite wonderful.  The relationship between Sally as the photographer, her daughter facing the camera and her other daughter facing away from the camera is so rich in content!

Lydia Panas

Private Spaces

Yours Gallery

ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 33
00-071 Warszawa

Uhhh... awkward?  I love the tension in this photograph as well as the softness in the color.  Panas photographed mostly family and friends in this series about the complex process of growing up and maturing.  Mmmm, nothing like being able to cut the air with a knife.  The relationship of these four individuals is interesting through their body language and facial expressions in addition to their relation with the photographer.  It almost looks like they have that expression of "if you dare point that camera at me one more time..."  I love (spectating) awkward tension.  Brilliant!

Fazal Sheikh

Fehan Noor Ahmed and her daughter Rhesh, Somali refugee camp, Mandera, Kenya 

5 Sep - 29 Nov 2009 

Huis Marseille
Museum for Photography
Keizersgracht 401
1016 EK Amsterdam
Netherlands

Sheikh has a body of work that includes many portraits of refugees from African and Asian countries.  This mother and child photographed also provide tension within themselves as well as with the photographer.  In addition to some perceived somberness, I also feel a bit of hope within the generations and new life.  And of course I can't ignore how delicious those shades of gray are.