Las Vegas, Nevada by HHS entrant Noah Beil, 2008
Noah Beil's landscapes are sneaky. Best viewed as a set, his shots highlight the man-made interruptions that manage to blend in with natural horizon lines. He explores the fine line between alteration and landscaping, destructive and decorative structures.
9 Comments
this is great. the way that wall frames the mountain like that is really interesting & bizarre.
Intent is fine and interesting, but it's a snapshot, like most of the things you like...
Your and the artist's words are the only thing that make it art.
I disagree. I think that it is more profound than what you have at first impression. Reminds me of a Lewis Baltz or New Topographics type of shot with an examination of the landscape, devoid of human context. Rather scientific and existential.
I dig it...
@ SoWhat?:
I agree with Qi Peng that this is much more reminiscent of New Topographics than a snapshot. Viewing images like this in such a strict documentary/constructed framework does the work, and yourself a huge disservice. The way he frames the images obviously has a very strong intention behind it and is clearly not something the photographer simply "happened" to take. Things just aren't that cut & dry.
The intent is great, the execution is what is lacking.
I feel yet again the world is given another 4x5 color photograph of "humans interacting with the landscape". Not only is this a never ending concept in the art world, but it is slowly creeping into art schools as well. Don't even get me started on Hasselblad color images consisting of enviornmental portraits with people looking ackward. Photographers....give me something new, something smart, something fresh!!!!!
ive no prob with this photo. i have to ask though, what are all you people taking about? ive never heard so much rubbish and pontification about a single piece in my life. do you think we might be over doing it bit here? its a photograph in a desert with some man made content. you either like it or you dont.
What are we all talking about? Images, photographs, content, art. Work provokes discussion, it is not just "you either like it or you don't". You've never heard so much rubbish about a single piece? Edison my friend, have you ever read art reviews? Especially the critiques on the Whitney Biennial???
to my learned friend photocrit
to be totally honest photocrit i rarely read art reviews, with the exception being, when id like to know more about a gallery or an artist. with all due respect, i believe that most don't read reviews at all. i think its fair to say that art critique has lead to some of those uncomfortable feeling many like myself feel when entering a gallery. properly understanding the whitney biennial will probably do very little to colour my mind as to whether or not i like a piece- it may well open some doors and give some oft long winded explaination (I get the irony here), but it won't change my mind one jot.
alas, it is now i that is pontificating and talking rubbish. i have over done it. the fact however still remains- i like this photo and i need no explaination as to why.