Portraits - Research Project

Wolfgang Tillmans

Wolfgang Tillmans is a 48 year old photographer who specialises in fine art photography. Tillmans said in an interview that he didn't find an interest in photography until he was 20 years old. He says that he never dreamt that he would one day become a photographer, and that he never saw a point in recording his memories as he felt that spending time trying to capture the moment got in the way of actually being there and living in the moment. Wolfgang goes on to explain how although he never had an attraction to photography or film, he was very interested in newspapers. He had a scrapbook in which he would collect news pictures from big stories that happened in the world such as the hijacked plane in Mogadishu or the suicide cult in Jonestown, Guyana. He explains how he "felt drawn to how so much drama can be condensed into a cheap, grainy picture.

Below are a few photographs from Wolfgang Tillmans that I was personally drawn to.

Heidi Slimane (2000) - Wolfgang Tillmans

When looking at Tillmans work, this was the first picture that really jumped out at me. I just found that the whole composition was very compelling and intriguing. The first thought I had after seeing this photo was wondering what the man was looking at off camera. He has a very blank facial expression and is looking as though there is someone on the other end of the table. There is another obvious reason as to why this photo is interesting which is the fact that the table is quite messy; it makes me wonder how and why is there is a bowl which has been flipped over and also makes me wonder what is in the brown paper bag. I also feel that the colours in this picture are very interesting. I like that there is almost a divide down the middle in contrast so that the are the brighter, more light colours on the left with the whites of the table, the orange of the juice and the cream on the wall. There is then on the right side all the darker, more moody colours; his clothes, both jacket and trousers are a dark blue shade of denim. He also has a dark brown cupboard behind him which defines the divide of colour even more.

Richard James (1993) - Wolfgang Tillmans

This photo really stood out for me. I like photographs that tend to tell a story and I feel that this one does that completely. It makes me want to ask so many questions; Who are the people in the garage? Why can we not see their faces? Why is the garage door broken? Is it even their garage? The possibilities for the story behind this picture are endless. What I really like about this photo is that I think it shows a message of friendship. The boys in the picture are obviously not wealthy or have expensive things, that is why they have all crammed into this broken garage to spend time with each other; they are not bothered about where or what they are doing, just that they are with each other which I think personally is a beautiful thing to be able to capture in a photograph.

Simon de Pury (2001) - Wolfgang Tillmans

This picture was what I thought was the most interesting of the 3, simply because I look at the picture and just can't think what is going on in it which is why I like it so much. At a first glance I think "The man in this picture is obviously a business man" but it doesn't explain why he is in the location that he's in or why his suit is too baggy or even why he is holding poison ivy. Although in the previous picture, I stated that I liked when photographs have a story behind them. Although this is true, I also really like it when a photograph makes me think and has a real mystery to it.

In an interview, Tillmans goes on to talk about the artists whom he finds most interesting and inspiring. One of the names he states is Laurie Anderson. 

Laurie Anderson

Laurie Anderson is a 69 year old, American avant-garde artist who also specialises in other multimedia projects. In 2002, Anderson was appointed the first 'artist in residence' of NASA. From this experience, she developed a solo performance, The End of The Moon, monologue that focused on the imponderables of space, both near and far.

Below is some of Laurie Anderson's work that I like.

Two Men in a Car - Laurie Anderson

This was the first photo from Anderson which stood out for me, what I like most about this picture is the simplicity. It's as though this wasn't planned at all, it seems like it was a complete snapshot which is why I'm drawn to this photo so much, it just feels so raw and honest. I like the obvious thing about this picture which is that there are white bars covering the eyes of the models which gives a slight mystery to their identity; it gives you the full picture whilst still holding back on parts to keep you intrigued.

Boys in the Court - Laurie Anderson

This was the second photo that I came across from Anderson. The first thing that I noticed is that the theme is identical to the first picture I analysed. I decided that I really enjoy this kind of style that Anderson has approached. I also like the fact that the two street boys are behind a mesh fence giving even more mystery to the image and telling me they hide behind something deeper along with the original white bars across their faces.

Man with a Cigarette - Laurie Anderson

This was the last image I found from Laurie Anderson. This photo follows the same pattern of white bars just like the other Anderson pictures. I like the fact that in this picture, you can tell that the man is smiling at something that is off camera which instantly makes you start to wander what is making him smile. Also the fact that he has his hands open which also makes you start to wonder who or what is off camera and why are his body actions in this certain way.