Saturday, August 25, 2012

Ryan McGinley (posted by Elizabeth Williams)

Sunrise, 2003
Sunrise, 2003


  Hannah (Ripple) 2009


 Alex and Frog, 2010
Marcel, Ann, and Coley 2007


I'm not sure what to think about this artist. His work is very--pretty, which probably has something to do with the fact that almost every photograph involves beautiful, naked young men and women with perfect bodies splashing around in the waters of their youth...It all seems very reminiscent of an American Apparel ad.

Here's a quote I found in an interview about his work:
He explains that his work is about the great American road trip: “It’s the idea of seeing where the road takes you and running away from home.”
McGinley apparently started out documenting dark images of graffitti and sex in NYC but decided to strip his subjects down and place them in nature instead, which is an interesting idea and clearly creates a beautiful dynamic.There's no doubt he has a great eye for aesthetics, but something in me is a little frustrated with the message, perhaps because the fashion industry feeds on this kind of work, emphasizing this dreamworld where everything is easy and free, cigarettes are just fun, and everyone looks like a supermodel...

Anyway, they're nice to look at. I suppose that's the main point.

4 comments:

  1. I apologize for the third image (alex & frog) being cut off--if you double click on it, you can view it in a separate window.

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  2. I see what you mean about the "American Apparel" ad, I feel like what he shoots is very in vogue at the moment, I'd be curious to know if thats what his work has always been like or if he is exploring a current trend.

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    1. Yeah, I'd like to think he was exploring the current trend but it seems like young, nude, michevious models has always been his focus. He's only been working since around 2000, some of his earlier work is on this site:
      http://www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/honigman/honigman6-21-04.asp

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  3. Yes, I agree with the whole American Apparel thing. It's like AA just without clothes... This set gives off a young, Americana sort of theme. Love these images.

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