Seattle isn't commonly perceived as the epicenter for cutting edge or blue chip art. Its more frequent associations (re: clichés) hang in generalizations about foggy weather (btw, it's beautiful and sunny AF right now, thanks), the growing tech boom and overzealous Seahawks fans. So last year when the Seattle Art Fair, and Out Of Sight came on the scene, not many knew what to expect -- it had been long since anyone could remember the presence of art fairs on the level of the New York City and Miami "elite." Eagerly embracing their return this weekend, we spent some time at both fairs, grabbing highlights (and bios) of our favorite photography-based work from each. Out Of Site will be up through the end of the month, and The Seattle Art Fair will be on view through Sunday, August 7th -- if you're in town, find a way to get a VIP pass and check them out.
The act of photographing someone from behind is often likened to voyeurism or timidity. Think Lee Friedlander's classic image of his shadow stuck to a fur-clad woman's back. Or the countless, anonymous, about-faced vernacular snapshots that shroud women in a creepy silhouette of men pursuing them with cameras. As a young teenager, one of my first photo teachers told me to avoid making this kind of portrait at all costs - their recommendation (or commandment!) was meant as an encouragement – to get to know people, explore something deeper, make a connection or challenge me to engage on a deeper level. But what can this sometimes frowned-upon approach disclose in gesture or body language? Can it tell us more than direct eye contact might pretend? Pace McGill curated a rather compelling exhibition of these kinds of portraits throughout photographic history last summer in NYC. Building on some of these historical notions, we contacted some of our favorite contemporary emerging and mid-career photographers to hear their about their own back-portraits, and their thoughts on this reversal of reveal.
'Tis the season to be making listicles. Within a week, every major photo blog (despite lots of folks saying blogs are dead, to which we say 'pshhhh'), magazine, content marketing generator, and probably a bunch of Instagram feeds will deliver their lists, break some hearts and make new friends for life. We thought about making our own list, but are trying something different this year. Instead of waxing authoritatively on our favorite photobooks, we've handed the reins to the photographers and publishers of Humble's best photobooks of 2014 to let them do the heavy lifting...er, we mean, to keep the decision more open, more varied, and potentially less of what our dear readers might expect. With that said, we strongly encourage you to check out some of these books and support each of the artists' hard work. In most cases, you can purchase directly from the photographers/publishers, or support amazing photobook stores and distros like Photoeye, Spoonbill and Sugartown, Dashwood Books, and Printed Matter. So behold! Humble's best photobooks of 2015 (in no particular order) according to some of the best photobook-agraphers of 2014. hotobook-agraphers of 2014.