this guy is pretty inspiring. mysterious. sophisticated. genius. check out his work. maybe you've heard of him? he's new to me. read his bio below and check out his fine art wonderful work here at his website.
"Rodney Smith studied photography under Walker Evans at Yale. In 1975 he received a fellowship, which enabled him to live in Jerusalem for three months. The world he photographed while there resulted in the book “The Land of Light”, published by Houghton Mifflin. White sandwashed walls, lean-faced men with hupnotic eyes, glossy brown eyes women and children with brilliant smiles. This collection achieves an even more powerful effect today. After its publication Rodney Smith was asked to lecture at Columbia University, The University of Mexico, University of Madrid, Harvard University and Goethe University. Adding to his mystery, Rodney Smith declined all invitations, insted riding slow trains in India, bicycling through the Camarque, strolling the streets in Paris (where at a flea market he buys the Duke of Windsor’s Luggage tags). Eventually he returns to Yale to earn a degree in Divinity and become an adjunct professor. And finds time to photograph landscapes and portraits throughout the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Mississippi Delta. Followed, of course by a mid-life crisis at age 28. He still watches nothing but movies made before 1947.
Today, Rodney Smith is celebrated photographer with a wonderful breadth of subject matter and feeling. He’s had dozens of shows. Won 75 awards. Is collected by Carnegies, Whitneys, and Rockefellers, plus, scads of orchestra and museum patrons and a few enlightened rock stars. Nan A. Talese/Doubleday published his second book, “The Hat Book” in 1993 (in-between working with Norman Mailer and Jimmy Carter). His work is represented in every important gallery across the globe; in some very exotic (and not so exotic) places."
I love it. Looks like there's so much thought behind his images. The next click we need to brain storm on some photo concepts and then have a photo day...
ReplyDeleteYes Rodney! Thank you for being ridiculously superb.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I agree with Miah about the "thought" possibilities. It seems in my work I capture what happens and respond to situations more often than envision an idea then capture it. Why not Stop-Listen-Dream-Draw-Plan-Shoot...and who knows, maybe even PRINT SOMETHING!!!
yes much thought. i'm more mystified by the guy. he goes to israel for 3 mos., publishes a book, which blows people's minds, he declines all interviews, escapes to travel solo, return to get an MDiv (!) from Yale and then becomes a professor. what!!!???? freakish.
ReplyDeleteI've seen his work before throughout the years ... amazing. I'm inspired to pick up some film and a medium format camera and shoot just for myself without the pressure of deciphering what others want or worrying about marketing my images.
ReplyDeleteMy new self-challenge ... create images that are powerful and use the back of a person's head.