Vermeer'esque lighting or the Munch'ian emotion

Mikhael Subotzky

© Mikhael Subotzky/Magnum Photos

© Francisco Goya

The blog competition from a month ago looking at the relationship between Magnum photographs and paintings has gotten me thinking. I thoroughly enjoyed the connections that were made, but I was reminded of one of my pet-hates when it comes to much recent photography - referencing for referencing's sake. Now this is clearly not the case with most of these Magnum photographs where a less self-conscious connection exists, I think its still worth discussing in relation to contemporary photography.

It seems like the surest way to get your photography noticed is to state the visual reference to historical painting, or the reference to Debord or Deleuze. I recently received a press-release in the mail where the photographer claimed affinity to both Wittgenstein and Foucault. Is that combination possible!? While I have nothing against intelligently and historically framed photographic content, I just start to bristle when these feel like they are what they are just for the sake of the ability to cite the reference, or because that is what everybody else is doing. I love what Todd Papageorge says in a contemporary response to Capa - "If you photos aren't good enough, you haven't read enough". But please, lets all let that reading absorb slowly into our work rather then trying to trumpet this reference and that reference. In his advice to young photographers Donavon Wylie extols the importance of reading and literature. In the presentation of his work, you don't see him advertising this reference to Joyce and other obscure (jokes) Irish writers, but his work obviously displays a deeply subtle understanding of narrative and literary context which gives it an strength that goes far beyond visual exclamation marks or press-release citations.

Its hard to go to a photography show these days without hearing art-world enthusiasts get excited about the Vermeer'esque lighting or the Munch'ian emotion! When I hear this, I wish that the tradition of photographic interaction with painting was better understood. I don't think anybody has more intelligently related to philosophy or the history of painting then Jeff Wall. I love the way his connection to historical painting is not based purely on a visual similarity, but rather then an in-depth interrogation of pictorial structure, as well as social, historical and metaphysical content.

But now, just to contradict my own argument, here's a reference of my own that I should have entered in the competition. Completely unconscious of course - you are hardly able to think about getting into a Goya-like position in a cramped police cell at 3am in Beaufort West!

Links
» Mikhael Subotzky's Magnum Portfolio
» Mikhael Subotzky's Books (Signed from the Magnum Store)