Thanks for this. It is inspiring and validating as my own approach mirrors his. After about 4 years of serious photography, I too am building a body of work on various themes emerging from shooting whatever catches my eye and heart.
Graeme: Thanks for another excellent video on Mr. Friedlander. Your presentations provide an essential approach to understanding this abstruse artist. For years, I've been drawn to his work -- his humor and use of juxtaposition. But, there's so much more in his frames. Your discussion of his use of randomness in creating photos is worth another viewing of these videos, followed by a deep dive into one of his books. Then, I'll go take some photos.
Excellent 2-part series on Friedlander. I consider Friedlander and Eggleston's work similar, photographing the mundane while making it interesting and thought provoking.
Brilliant video. The book “Stems” resulted from the 3 months he was laid up with arthritis and the knee operation. I guess after being laid low and unable to pursue photography freely, he hit on the idea of photographing the indoor plants near to hand. The incomprehension that met his photos in some quarters has given way, as people came to understand how his photographic way of seeing drastically expanded our understanding of “composition”. Some of the books embody consciously pursued themes or topics. Others were the result of rummaging through his boxes of prints, and being surprised that he had enough images on a particular theme. That’s a benefit of such consistency. Some of his most interesting photos were on the theme of work and workers; something that interested him greatly. I think “Factory Valleys” was his first photobook. I also love also the fact that, beginning with a 6 year commission, he continued over 20 years to photograph and celebrate the park landscapes created by Frederick Law Olmsted all across the continent.
Thanks again for this series. Just rewatched after viewing the Friedlander expo curated by Joel Coen of the Coen brothers at Arles. Seeing the pictures as prints gave me my first visceral reaction to his work. In books, the images can appear clinical and intellectual but on the wall the perfection of the compositions gave me a real thrill.
I think a bit of an 'in' with Friedlander really helps (oh, just noticed - you typo'd his name in the main title, which may cause YT/algo issues!). Such an intuitive and instinctive talent. I find his images so intriguing, superficially and puzzling too. Your 2-part discussion has been fascinating - its given me a new perspective to view LF from. Thanks.
He was/is also a highly successful educator and music photographer. Also, the alleged randomness of his work and why it's so coherent anyhow may be because the perceptive and trained eye has a mind of its own. The one problem with Lee Friedlander-and it's not his fault-is that too many slop photographers in the 70s and 80s thought they were Friedlander but they were just lazy and sloppy, kind of like the hacks in Santa Fe who are wandering around in the desert looking for Ansel Adams' tripod holes. By the way, I read that when William Gedney, a talented photographer in his own right, was dying during the AIDS epidemic, Lee Friedlander and his wife helped support and take care of Gedney and that Friedlander helped preserve and promote Gedney's work after his passing. So, in addition to his photographic talents, he's a genuinely nice guy.
The creative and physical energy it takes to focus on and create a body of work like that astounds me, and it is mostly associated with driven and successful artists. I see that in Van Gogh and his devotion to create every day, although his success never found him in his lifetime.
I love the phrase "degenerate artistic activities," as a description of what photographers do. I keep hoping to see something I have never seen before.
Your video series on photographers is excellent, you must have put a huge amount of effort into researching and preparing these videos. Thank you for that. I have really enjoyed your knowledgeable and "dead pan" presentation! Excellent.
Lee Friedlander is like the Robin Williams of photography. His photographic reflexes are incredibly fast. At least, that is what seems to be at work as he manages to find juxtapositions that are as complex as they are ironic. Somehow, in the vernacular and banal artifacts of everyday environments, he sees something, a relationship among the elements, that most of us would never notice. And he sees it in about the same amount of time it takes to click the shutter. At least, that's the impression I come away with. What an amazing genius!
