Face – Bruce Gilden
“Face” is the new book by Bruce Gilden, a photographer I have expressed my admiration for in an earlier blog post.
While I don’t have a copy of the book, I have seen the review and example images in the Sean O’Hagan on Photography section of The Guardian website.
These pictures are, exactly, why I love Gilden; as a photographer, he is straight to the point. It has been said before he almost mugs his subjects for the shot and in this book Bruce Gilden as produced an authoritative collection of warts and all portraits.
I have personally for three years been undertaking a personal project of street portraits and while I have tried in most cases to keep the pictures true to life they are in no way as realistic as the shot Gilden has created.
Predominantly know as a street photographer, there is no street in these shots, only a straight headshot (shot with permission) of some of the best least attractive people you will ever come across. It is Gilden’s style as a street photographer that has made these portraits so real and perhaps hard to look at.
Sean O’Hagan’s review a not glowing indicating that he feels that the work is exploitive and voyeuristic; but I feel that while it is an example of how as photographers we have to be true to ourselves.
Following the point of Sean O’Hagen that the work is perhaps exploitive, how is it any different the work of Diane Arbus, who as a rule sort of people she described as “freaks”. Why should we hail Arbus for her work just because she was the first to shoot in such away and pillory another photographer for just shooting in his initiative style but, a slightly different subject we are used to seeing?
Also, by the same judgment are we not all exploitative as photographers especially those of us who work on the street. We all have a little code of ethics – don’t shoot children or not take homeless people, beggars, etc.; but we work around this looking for our own “freak” who will create an interest in our shot. Just be because it a “beautiful picture” of someone does mean we are not exploiting them in some way.
To sum up, if I were asked before seeing this body of work what would your passport photo look life if Bruce Gilden took it? This book would have been my answer.
Bibliography
O’HAGAN, Sean. 2015. A latter-day freak show? Bruce Gilden’s extreme portraits are relentlessly cruel. [online]. [Accessed 03 Sep 2015]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/aug/19/bruce-gilden-face-street-portraits-photographs-book>
THE GUARDIAN. 2015. In your face: Bruce Gilden’s extreme closeups – in pictures. [online]. [Accessed 03 Sep 2015]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2015/aug/19/bruce-gilden-face-extreme-closeups-in-pictures>
KIM, Eric. 11 Lessons Diane Arbus Can Teach You About Street Photography. [online]. [Accessed 08 Nov 2015]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/15/11-lessons-diane-arbus-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/>