Image copyright Susan BurnstineI've noticed in the last couple of years a lot of photographers 'tipping their hats' to pictorialism. Is it the recession? Is it a bit like the growth in knitting, allotments and wearing tweed while cycling? Are we harking back to a more Innocent time? Are we after a big photographic kiss off our Nana's?
The images over on the latest edition of FRACTION may have been shot with plastic camera's and pinholes, which is nothing new but unlike earlier HOLGA photography that shot colour and looked for happy accidents however samey it ended up looking, this new wave seem to be reaching back as far as Fox Talbots 'Window'. Although I enjoy looking at this type of thing in much the same way as I enjoy looking at a nice water colour, I'm a bit surprised at FRACTION for dedicating almost ( I really enjoyed 'Trailers Collected' by Nan Brown) a whole issue to it. The chaps at FRACTION normally give you with something a bit meatier to get your teeth into.
3 comments:
Its a very interesting theory you have there. I have mentioned before that I think harder times produce good photography, think 1920's recession and Walker Evans , or Paul Reas and those pics of people on the dole in Thatchers 80's Britain.
Have to say that when the whole Pin Hole/ Holga thing is done with some proper thought, it can be rather nice as well as rather naff..
I'm off to make some 'small prints'...
I love Tom Hunter's newish pinhole stuff he did. But with that he had a reason for using it, there was a conceptual framework under pinning it.
Theres a small group show my work and of Tom's Pin Hole work up in the Hyatt Hotel in London. Bit swanky in there..
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