MOMA Stranger and Duchamp
I have seemingly collected some great photos trying to take snapshots of art works. Just as I press someone looms into the shot. At the time I usually just take another, I’m certainly not an avid photographer, it’s more for research on the painting that I was looking at. What I have found though is I really love these photos of strangers.
MCA Louise Hearman and Harry Who
Biennale Sydney and Betty Bob-up
Guggenheim & Whosit Face
More recently I’ve been trying to take the strangers on purpose. If you happen to read this and you are my stranger – thanks you’ve made my day.
MOMA Picasso and nancy no name
Great stuff. I never thought about keeping photos that people find their way into.
I think I’m a bit obsessive, I tend to keep everything thinking it will come in useful somehow. Obviously blogging has become a dumping ground for me. Cheers Sue
PL – that would make a great photo-book…
As long as nobody stood in front whilst I did the cover shot!
I love these random encounters and have often spent more time drawing people in galleries than doing the research that I went for in the first place ! My friend and fellow Art Space Portsmouth memeber, Mike Bartlett makes paintings of people in galleries http://michaelbartlett.org.uk/ – check him out. Best wishes C !
Thanks Chris
I just checked them out- they are great paintings,a wonderful artist. Like you I found that galleries were great places for life drawing, you can sketch them while they are standing still and you don’t attract attention because people think you’re copying artwork.
They’re great. Shockingly recognizable: The self-conscious stance, the fear of taking too much time with a piece of art, the slightly cowed walk-past. And why do museums look like that? My favorite one is an old mansion with the owner’s helter-skelter, possessions: Henry Mercer’s Fonthill Castle in Bucks County, PA. He built it, travelled, collected, furnished it, compiled cultural histories, and made tiles. Lived-in art; I guess if I can’t be an artist, I’d like to experience that.
Though I loathe the ‘tour’. Perhaps rich people could rent time in such a surrounding. I’d still be left standing outside looking in. Oh well.
That one sounds perfect. I love to look at other artists home studios and especially their bookshelves. It gives more insight sometimes than long-winded interviews.
I just had a chance to take (surreptitious) photos of my beloved nephew,
dancing along with Sharon Lockhart | Noa Eshkol & troupe–in front of the big screens they appeared on, at LACMA, making beautiful shapes with his body silhouetted against their glowing white frame. It was lovely & made me incredibly happy. In my old age I have begun to feel that I want to respond tangibly to what moves me—or has the potential to.
How beautiful! It will be a lovely momento of that experience. I too have taken sneaky snaps in museums and galleries, not so much the works but for the spaces -they make such interesting shapes.
Great to see the creative gene hasn’t fallen far from the gardening tree too.
Cheers Sue
Yes, me too I think I’m going to just look and I end up drawing or taking a picture – I too like the different attitudes of the viewers.
Hi Carla, I love the one of the guy that looks like a kangaroo caught in the headlights -he’s about to run not sure which way.