David LaChapelle’s ‘Death by Hamburger’ and other works are currently being exhibited at Fotografiska in Stockholm through March 3, 2013.
125 Swimming Pools
San Francisco-based artist Jenny Odell’s medium of choice is Google, namely Google Earth and Google Street View. In this series she explores the way that satellite photography is actually very revealing about our humanity and the marks we humans have left on our planet. I just love how beautiful and fragile she makes everything seem.
Every Basketball Court in Manhattan
97 Nuclear Cooling Towers
144 Empty Parking Lots
10 Waterslide Configurations
120 Stadiums
1,378 Grain Silos, Water Towers, and Other Cylindrical-Industrial Buildings
77 Waste and Salt Ponds
104 Airplanes
This post was contributed by Sophie Chapman-Andrews, Head of Art Buying at McCann London
RileyKilo, transgender age-player
Around the time same-sex marriage became legal in New York the idea of complex sexuality seemed to be in the air around me. Fifty Shades of Grey was getting attention, political chatter was everywhere, a dominatrix was interviewed by Terry Gross, and my roommate told me about her fetishist friend studying for a PhD in psychology. Our culture is just beginning to accept sexual identity beyond the traditional male/female roles. This project is a natural response to what I feel is a limited understanding of (or desire to understand) the very complex nature of sexuality in America. I wanted to go further than the “norm” and meet people whose identity is more nuanced than the black and white concepts we are fed daily.
I started doing research and learned about the vibrant kink community in NYC, including a Facebook-like website called Fetlife.com, which launched in 2008. Not long ago it would have been quite difficult to contact a wide variety of fetishists without scouring the city trying to earn trust. A historically underground community is now meeting online, so I was suddenly granted access to thousands of people that are otherwise hidden.
The photographs are all taken at the subject’s home or personal space. Plenty of documentaries show scenes of sexual deviants at play in dungeons and swinger’s clubs, but my intention is to connect the audience to people with different sexual appetites on neutral ground. There may be inherent exoticism in the way some fetishists look, but only because they exist outside of what we perceive as the norm. Many enjoy the anonymity or rebellious culture of fetishes, while others are simply themselves, excited by ideas other than basic sex. By choosing to look at these images I hope people will wrestle with their preconceptions. There are intricacies in our human relationships that kinksters embrace and often exaggerate, giving us a window into pockets of the complex human mind we aren’t usually tuned into.—Danny Ghitis
Danny Ghitis is a Brooklyn-based photographer. His series, The Fetlife, is a work in progress.
Swinginglana, bixexual kinkster, both dominant and submissive.
ZentaiMan206, straight cosplay enthusiast
TheTerribleGirl, submissive into rape role-play
CassandraMoon and Contele, husband and wife involved in theater and into role-play
Slut Tammy, cross-dressing bisexual alter ego
Erinhoudini, transgender polyamorous rope mistress and anti-escape artist
Dire Wolf, dominant leader of a werewolf pack
Zoe1984, a polyamorous bisexual student interested in the sexual power struggle
TheBaroness, pansexual dominant diva, latex expert and fashion designer
Michael Genovese’s newest body of work, Lines and Cracks and Zebras and Horses, is on view at OHWOW gallery in Los Angeles from January 12 through February 9, 2013.
Once the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for the American rock group The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed has to this day continued to be influential within the music industry as both a solo artist and collaborator. While many dedicated fans know of his contributions to music, others may not know of his growing portfolio of experimental photographs, much of which is showcased in a new book called Rimes Rhymes. The book, recently published by French publisher Éditions Photosynthèses, features over 300 photographs by Reed along with text by Bernard Comment.
This post was contributed by Megan Ramirez.
Kenneth Josephson’s vintage black and white work will be on display at Gitterman Gallery in New York from January 11 through March 16, 2013.
German photographer Ralf Peters takes everyday objects and spaces and puts them in a new light, literally. He captures plants, trees, houses, and bridges immersed in total darkness, illuminating only parts of them in a calculated way. The result is a new incarnation of the object, exposed for its colorful and sculptural qualities. Selected work from his series Night / Colours is currently on display at Bernhard Knaus Fine Art in Frankfurt as part of a group exhibition featuring 12 gallery artists. It runs until January 26, 2013.
UK based photographer Nadege Meriau transforms food and natural matter into visceral, primeval dwellings and grottos reminiscent of the underworld. Her meticulous and creative eye takes these fruits and vegetables to the next level. Olivier Richon, Head of Photography at the Royal College of Art in London where Meriau recevied an MA in Photography, describes this series perfectly:
If in fairy tales, houses are made of sweets, Nadege Meriau does the reverse, transforming the edible into a dwelling, making architectures of fibers, vegetables and porous matter. This is an architecture of the digestible, made of curves and unexpected textures, that recall the art of the rocaille, or when a grotto is endowed with a viscosity that reminds us of a digestive apparatus.—Olivier Richon
via It’s Nice That
If you’re a photographer, you can now promote your new series, website, gallery show, recent assignment, etc. on Feature Shoot for an affordable price. Find out about becoming a Spotlight Photographer here.
Fireworks photographed by David Johnson via Lost At E Minor.
I strive to create images that elegantly articulate the totality of existence, focusing heavily on the broad themes of life and death, with further emphasis placed on ideas of fragility, impermanence and carnality. Death has always possessed a significant presence within the history of art, ranging from altarpieces to the work of the Dutch still life painters. Manifesting melancholic themes with beauty and precision, as these artists did, results in an image that is seductive, forcing the viewer to look, despite its apparent grotesque and morbid nature. Through these images, I aspire to make apparent the restlessness of a life that is knowingly so temporary and vulnerable.—Tara Sillios
Tara Sellios is a Boston based artist working in large format photography. Most recently work from her series Seven Evil Thoughts and Retribution was shown at Gallery Kayafas in Boston.
