Baby Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 http://www.davidknipper.com/famous_person/...peterwitkin.jpgHOTLINKINGPlease do not hotlink from another person’s website, If you're not sure what hotlinking is, please visit this page for more information. http://www.bellazon.com/main/index.php?showtopic=22405 **edited by MauiKaneJoel-Peter Witkin is a photographer whose images of the human condition are undeniably powerful. For more than twenty years he has pursued his interest in spirituality and how it impacts the physical world in which we exist. Finding beauty within the grotesque, Witkin pursues this complex issue through people most often cast aside by society -- human spectacles including hermaphrodites, dwarfs, amputees, carcases, people with odd physical capabilities, fetishists and "any living myth... anyone bearing the wounds of Christ." His fascination with other people's physicality has inspired works that confront our sense of normalcy and decency, while constantly examining the teachings handed down through Christianity. His constant reference to paintings from art history, including the works of Bosch, Goya, Velasquez, Miro, Botticelli and Picasso are testaments to his need to create a new history for himself. By using imagery and symbols from the past, Witkin celebrates our history while constantly redefining its present day context. Visiting medical schools, morgues and insane asylums around the world, Witkin seeks out his collaborators, who, in the end, represent the numerous personas of the artist himself. The resulting photographs are haunting and beautiful, grotesque yet bold in their defiance a hideous beauty that is as compelling as it is taboo. Witkin begins each image by sketching his ideas on paper, perfecting every detail by arranging the scene before he gets into the studio to stage his elaborate tableaus. Once photographed, Witkin spends hours in the darkroom, scratching and piercing his negatives, transforming them into images that look made rather than taken. Through printing, Witkin reinterprets his original idea in a final act of adoration. Joel-Peter Witkin lets us look into his created world, which is both frightening and fascinating, as he seeks to dismantle our preconceived notions about sexuality and physical beauty. Through his imagery, we gain a greater understanding about human difference and tolerance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny-dreaddfull Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 wow..... im familiar with pic #13.. and have always dug it.... but ive never seen his other works.he works well in all mediumsthe pics leave me feeling part disturbed,amused and energizedi love the one of the skeleton weighing the fish and the penis....and the penis is left lacking!! lolol pure gold!thanks for the intro to this mans world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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