Inspiration is my friend
Usually, I try to leave personal out of my photographic blog, but I promise, there's a connection here. Today, finds me with the rare gift of a day off, homesick, and recovering from a vicious migraine, and the blustery chill is keeping me inside, so the wheels in my mind are turning. It's moods like this-when I'm frustrated, gloomy and doubtful when I turn to those folks who's work has been an inspiration to me.
As a creative person, inspiration, and looking for it, is part of the job- and one of the best parts, too! I love sharing who inspires me, with others, and have an ever-growing list of artists, designers, etc. Curious? Well, here is a short list of some of the people that have and continue to excite and influence me:
David Hockney(wish I could get to L.A. to see his new exhibit!), Saul Leiter, Robert Doisneau, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Imogen Cunningham, Edward Weston, Elliot Erwitt, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, Sally Mann, Nicole Franzen, Martyn Thompson, Adam Fuss, Robert Mapplethorpe, Julia Margaret Cameron...that's just a short list too! When I began to take pictures, I started in black and white, which explains my B&W heavy list of influencers!
I have a Fine Art painting background, so my influences really start here; Georgia O'Keefe, the two Marks-Rothko and Chagall, David Hockney (he crossed genres-love!), Su Blackwell, John Singer-Sargeant, Monet, Mondrian, Van Gogh,, Vermeer, Joseph Stella....this is also a short list!
Growing up in the 70's and 80's music, music videos, and fashion were major eye openers for me.
Those worlds frequently collided, and collaborated, going to a small Catholic school, there wasn't exactly information on art, so, I read about guys like Mapplethorpe from fashion magazines. In the pages of Elle and Vogue, I read about Yoji Yammamoto, Lacroix, Helmut Lang, Donna Karan, all were designing clothing that looked like sculpture. Then reading about designers like Ann Demuelemeester, and Alexander McQueen who really pushed the envelope! Then there were the video directors like Samuel Bayer, Mark Pellington, and Mark Romanek. Their use of rich colors, heavy shadows, and selective blurring captured the mood of the 'grunge' sound perfectly-the sound which ushered me into adulthood and pursuing art seriously.
Closer to home, I'm fortunate to have attended a photo school where inspiration came readily and constantly. Classmates and inscructors such as, Greg Norstrom, Alena Kuzub, Justin Hamel, Steph Larsen, Carrie Kinsella, Daniella Goncalves, Genny Nolan, Cameron Macmartin, Eileen Clynes, Holly Rike, Yorgos Efthymiadis, Ron Cowie, Stephen Sheffield, Bill Franson, Keitaro Yoshioka, SueAnn hodges et al. Such a great group of talent in that small list! A fair number of them have had multiple exhibtions, and some even get paid to make art-fantastic! And there are more 'ones to watch' from this new class too. Photographers like Liz Ireland, Andy Moran, Zion Orent, Tricia Collier, La Ura, Aoife Shanahan, et al. I know there's more but, being now Second Years', they're probably quite busy to share their work.
I know that was a a lot to take in, but, I am lucky to have been inspired by so many people, and get jazzed about inspiration itself. Inspiration is my main muse, and the friend that kicks me out of my creative funks-like the one I'm in (or was in) today. My hope is that you, dear reader, will be inspired and look at some of the people I've mentioned and share who/what inspires/influences you.
Thank you kindly for reading!
Reading: "Educating Alice," Alice Steinbach
Listening to: Sigur Ros, Jon Spencer Blues Exsplosion, Parkington Sisters, Laura Marling, Minus the Bear, Deertick
As a creative person, inspiration, and looking for it, is part of the job- and one of the best parts, too! I love sharing who inspires me, with others, and have an ever-growing list of artists, designers, etc. Curious? Well, here is a short list of some of the people that have and continue to excite and influence me:
David Hockney(wish I could get to L.A. to see his new exhibit!), Saul Leiter, Robert Doisneau, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Imogen Cunningham, Edward Weston, Elliot Erwitt, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, Sally Mann, Nicole Franzen, Martyn Thompson, Adam Fuss, Robert Mapplethorpe, Julia Margaret Cameron...that's just a short list too! When I began to take pictures, I started in black and white, which explains my B&W heavy list of influencers!
I have a Fine Art painting background, so my influences really start here; Georgia O'Keefe, the two Marks-Rothko and Chagall, David Hockney (he crossed genres-love!), Su Blackwell, John Singer-Sargeant, Monet, Mondrian, Van Gogh,, Vermeer, Joseph Stella....this is also a short list!
Growing up in the 70's and 80's music, music videos, and fashion were major eye openers for me.
Those worlds frequently collided, and collaborated, going to a small Catholic school, there wasn't exactly information on art, so, I read about guys like Mapplethorpe from fashion magazines. In the pages of Elle and Vogue, I read about Yoji Yammamoto, Lacroix, Helmut Lang, Donna Karan, all were designing clothing that looked like sculpture. Then reading about designers like Ann Demuelemeester, and Alexander McQueen who really pushed the envelope! Then there were the video directors like Samuel Bayer, Mark Pellington, and Mark Romanek. Their use of rich colors, heavy shadows, and selective blurring captured the mood of the 'grunge' sound perfectly-the sound which ushered me into adulthood and pursuing art seriously.
Closer to home, I'm fortunate to have attended a photo school where inspiration came readily and constantly. Classmates and inscructors such as, Greg Norstrom, Alena Kuzub, Justin Hamel, Steph Larsen, Carrie Kinsella, Daniella Goncalves, Genny Nolan, Cameron Macmartin, Eileen Clynes, Holly Rike, Yorgos Efthymiadis, Ron Cowie, Stephen Sheffield, Bill Franson, Keitaro Yoshioka, SueAnn hodges et al. Such a great group of talent in that small list! A fair number of them have had multiple exhibtions, and some even get paid to make art-fantastic! And there are more 'ones to watch' from this new class too. Photographers like Liz Ireland, Andy Moran, Zion Orent, Tricia Collier, La Ura, Aoife Shanahan, et al. I know there's more but, being now Second Years', they're probably quite busy to share their work.
I know that was a a lot to take in, but, I am lucky to have been inspired by so many people, and get jazzed about inspiration itself. Inspiration is my main muse, and the friend that kicks me out of my creative funks-like the one I'm in (or was in) today. My hope is that you, dear reader, will be inspired and look at some of the people I've mentioned and share who/what inspires/influences you.
Thank you kindly for reading!
Reading: "Educating Alice," Alice Steinbach
Listening to: Sigur Ros, Jon Spencer Blues Exsplosion, Parkington Sisters, Laura Marling, Minus the Bear, Deertick
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