Ralph Eugene Meatyard
Meatyard once described himself as a “dedicated amateur” photographer. In the late 50’s, Meatyard found a set of masks in a store in Lexington, Kentucky, that looked like melted wax faces and they became the main prop he used to take portraits for the next 13 years. Why masks? “The idea of a person, a photograph, say, of a young girl with a title ‘Rose Taylor’ or the title ‘Rose’ or no title at all becomes an entirely different thing,” Meatyard once said. “ ‘Rose Taylor’ is a specific person, whether you know her nor not. ‘Rose’ is more generalized and could be one of many Roses—many people. No title, it could be anybody.” And in the same way, a mask “serves as non-personalizing a person.” Gowin, who posed for a Meatyard portrait, recalls thinking that wearing a mask would surely erase all sense of personhood. “But when I saw the pictures,” he says, “I realized that even though you have the mask, your body language completely gives you away. It’s as if you’re completely naked, completely revealed.”
Meatyard once described himself as a “dedicated amateur” photographer. In the late 50’s, Meatyard found a set of masks in a store in Lexington, Kentucky, that looked like melted wax faces and they became the main prop he used to take portraits for the next 13 years. Why masks? “The idea of a person, a photograph, say, of a young girl with a title ‘Rose Taylor’ or the title ‘Rose’ or no title at all becomes an entirely different thing,” Meatyard once said. “ ‘Rose Taylor’ is a specific person, whether you know her nor not. ‘Rose’ is more generalized and could be one of many Roses—many people. No title, it could be anybody.” And in the same way, a mask “serves as non-personalizing a person.” Gowin, who posed for a Meatyard portrait, recalls thinking that wearing a mask would surely erase all sense of personhood. “But when I saw the pictures,” he says, “I realized that even though you have the mask, your body language completely gives you away. It’s as if you’re completely naked, completely revealed.”
In an interview
Meatyard’s son, Chris, explains that his father would pick the environment first,
and concentrate on the light available at different times in the space. He
wouldn’t start to bring people into his shots until he had already composed the
image.
I’m personally very drawn to Meatyard’s style, and I believe he was asking questions about personhood, body language and aesthetics that I am also very curious about.
I’m personally very drawn to Meatyard’s style, and I believe he was asking questions about personhood, body language and aesthetics that I am also very curious about.
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