#128 The Argument for Photographic Purism
Suzanne in Santa Fe (2020)
READ THE ESSAY >> neomodern.medium.com
VOIR
https://www.netflix.com/watch/81474478?trackId=13752289
Amanda Gorman
Call Us What We Carry
The Tenets of “Neo-Modernism”
pure seeing
Like 20th century modernism, neo-modernism is about the act of catching a real moment, of real things. Images are discovered and caught, not montaged together in software. They present the ephemeral or overlooked, they see the commonplace in a new way. They are unset-up, undirected, completely in vivo.
formally, but naturally, composed
Like a painting, every element of the image is purposeful, but not contrived. They are harmonious in their spontaneous placements. They hold a rhythm of discovery that presents an experience of delight. They embrace the nature of “the decisive moment.”
true
Whether an inner or external truth, they speak to something that is real and personal in the world, a feeling, a moment, something intimate, maybe something known and forgotten.
moment, more than object
They are very much about time—they couldn’t have been taken by another person at another moment; they embrace the essential nature of a camera to reveal the fleeting.
without commercial intent
Photos taken for the love of photography, not for a client or the public.
Beyond these neo-modern principles, our practice continues to strive for—
simple
They are sculpted by removing the extraneous, the distracting. This could mean they are monochromatic, but not necessarily. They have a sense of clarity and elegance. There is not much visual noise.
modest
The images are unpretentious; they don’t shout “look at me!” they speak their truth by allusion, metaphor, somewhat veiled whispers. Whether beautiful or shocking, they speak to it in hushed tones. They take a moment, but just a moment, to grok. Not too obvious, but not too cryptic.
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