The Process Behind the Portrait
Alec Soth, "Donald and Tamara," from the series, "NIAGARA," 2004.
The practice of photographic portraiture is rife with ethical implications – from the subject’s awareness of the project, to the artistic choices made throughout the session, to the work’s resulting place within the art market. The process behind the portraiture is particularly interesting to me, especially in how the relationship between the artist and subject can impact the ethical considerations of the project. The artist Alec Soth’s frank style of portraiture is realized through his ability to make his subjects feel comfortable in front of his camera. In an article last year in the New York Times, Julian Cox, Curator of Photography at the High Museum, was quoted, saying that Soth “communes with his subjects and his environment through the ritual of the photographic act. He’s a very natural type of communicator. That’s part of his magic formula for having his subjects turn themselves over to him.” Soth was kind enough to allow me to interview him about the relationships he builds with the subjects of his portraiture, and how it affects his resulting work.
Rachel Craft: I’d be curious to learn more about your process leading up to the photography session. When you find a subject, what are your first steps?
Alec Soth: My approach really varies from project to project. When working with a large format camera, I’ll often approach people while leaving the camera in my car. I’ll just talk to them, explain what I’m doing and ask if they’ll pose. In terms of the explanation, I try to be as honest as I can about what I’m doing. But sometimes this is made difficult by the fact that I really don’t know what I’m doing. Lately I’ve been working in a really free-form intuitive way and I’ve been having a hell of a time communicating this to the people I photograph.
Alec Soth, "Sunshine, Memphis, Tennessee," from the series, "Sleeping by the Mississippi," 2000.
RC: Does your relationship with your subject, and how easily he or she accepts the idea of your project, influence the resulting work?
AS: I wish there was a formula for great pictures, but there absolutely isn’t. Personally I don’t like to be too close to the people I photograph. If I could, sometimes I think I would take their picture without us ever talking. I like to imagine their personality based on their physical attributes. For this reason, it is really rare that I photograph family and friends.
RC: Your portraits always feel like a very honest portrayal of the person. To what extent do you allow your subject to choose how they represent themselves and to what extent do you project your own perspective on their portraits?
AS: It’s really hard to say. I mean, I don’t go out with a bag of a costumes and ask people to perform in my play, but I’m not comfortable saying that I’m entirely neutral. I choose the people, I choose the moment to snap the shutter and I choose the final picture. All of these little decisions add up to a lot of power in terms of how the person is represented.
Flash Points: The Ethics of Art
Gordon Matta-Clark, "Bingo," 1974. The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Nina and Gordon Bunshaft Bequest Fund, Nelson A. Rockefeller Bequest Fund, and the Enid A. Haupt Fund, 2004. Installation photography © Francois Robert, The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. Gordon Matta-Clark works © Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Today we launch the next Flash Points topic, The Ethics of Art. Ethics are defined as “a system of moral principles” which constantly factor into the choices we make. However, these decisions can become confused, making this system of principles more gray than black and white, especially when competing priorities are at work. Over the next two months, we’ll explore the relationship of ethics in art from a variety of perspectives and question the role that they should — or shouldn’t — play.
In the 1970s, Gordon Matta-Clark took a critical stance against the Hooker Chemical Company with his work Bingo, which highlighted the unethical — and as a result, dangerous — decisions they made in the community of Love Canal, New York. Throughout this topic, we’ll feature artists who make this ethical debate a focus in their work, from artists who question the role of the institution, such as Hans Haacke or Marcel Broodthaers, to artists like Alfredo Jaar, who examines the disparity between an oil-rich government and a poverty-stricken populace in his work Muxima.
Ann Hamilton. "Accountings," Jan. 22 - April 5, 1992 (installation view, Henry Art Gallery). Steel tokens, soot, steel, glass, cast wax heads, canaries. Photo: Richard Nicol.
Ethical decisions also factor into the artistic process. Does a photographer who sells a portrait owe anything, financially or psychologically, to the work’s subject? What kind of ownership does an artist have over reproduced images of his or her work? We’ll also look at the discussions taking place around the use of animals in art, such as the range of responses — from acclaim to criticism — received during Ann Hamilton’s exhibition Accountings (which included live canaries), or the severe case of Tom Otterness shooting a dog for his art (an act for which he has since apologized). Ethical issues can even come into play after an artist’s death, especially in the handling the artist’s estate and the management of his or her legacy.
Controversies and arguments abound as ethical decisions, or the lack thereof, play a role in institutional practice. With the ever-shrinking gap between commerce and culture, the prioritization of good business over public service creates an increasingly blurry set of ethical guidelines. Collector-based exhibitions, conflicts of interest, deaccessioning practices…do museums have a responsibility to their public? And if so, is this a part of institutional culture and is it being taught in today’s museum studies programs?
Marcel Broodthaers, "Musée d'Art Moderne, Département des Aigles, Section Financière (Museum of Modern Art, Department of Eagles, Financial Section)," 1970-1971. Gold bar stamped with an eagle. Courtesy Galerie Beaumont, Luxembourg. Photo: J. Romero, courtesy Maria Gilissen.
Here are a few of the questions we’ll be addressing over the coming weeks. We’d love to hear your thoughts, and any ideas you have for additional sub-topics, in the comments below:
- How do ethics factor into institutional practice?
- How do artists address ethical issues in their work?
- What kind of ethical decisions are made during the artistic process?
- Are ethics emphasized in art education today?
- Must art be ethical?
Call for Writers: New Flash Points Topic
Hans Haacke, "Cowboy with Cigarette," 1990. Pasted paper, charcoal, ink, and frame, 37 x 31 x 2 3/8" (94 x 80 x 6 cm). Collection Joseph Lebon. Photo: courtesy John Weber Gallery, New York
Our new Flash Points topic, The Ethics of Art, will be launching soon and we’re inviting you to participate. Intrigued? Want to know more? Keep reading!
This theme will look at the relationship between ethics and contemporary art. Ethics are defined as “a system of moral principles” which constantly factor into the choices we make. This can include something as personal as the creation of art, or as public as a museum’s mission statement. These decisions can also become confused, especially when competing priorities are at work. With the ever-shrinking gap between commerce and culture, the prioritization of good business over public service creates an increasingly blurry set of ethical guidelines for the art world. A few of the questions we’ll be exploring will include:
- How does ethics factor into institutional practice?
- How do artists address ethical issues in their work?
- What kind of ethical decisions are made during the artistic process?
- Are ethics emphasized in art education today?
- Must art be ethical?
We are eager to hear from a range of perspectives, including those of you who work as artists, arts professionals, students, art educators, funders, organizers, and academics. Propose a Flash Points blog post related to the above topic and have a chance to be featured on this site. Email ideas and pitches to blog [at] art21 [dot] org. Deadline is January 31st.
Art and Nature at Storm King
Flash Points Editor Rachel Craft interviewed David R. Collens, Director and Curator of Storm King Art Center, about the institution’s focus on the relationship between art and nature. —Ed.
Mark di Suvero, "Pyramidian," 1987/1998; "Mon Pere, Mon Pere," 1973-75; "Mother Peace," 1969-70; Storm King Art Center
Rachel Craft: In the description of Storm King on your website, you emphasize the surrounding environment of the Hudson Highlands, and how that panorama is essential to the overall viewing experience. How does this interaction with the landscape factor into your planning and curation of exhibitions at Storm King?
David R. Collens: The magnificent setting of the Storm King Art Center, surrounded by the Storm King and Schunnemunk mountains, is like no other. To understand the place today, it is important to understand its history. Fifty years ago, Peter Stern and Ralph “Ted” Ogden, who were business partners, and the great landscape architect Bill Rutherford worked together to realize their singular vision for a place that brought sculpture and landscape into a sublime union.
The landscape plays a central role in all curatorial decisions: Each of the 100-plus sculptures installed at Storm King is carefully sited with an eye to its relationship with the surrounding landscape, which includes verdant fields and meadows, some seeded with native grasses, as well as allées, rolling hills, and woodlands. Like its landscape and vistas, Storm King’s collection, which today spans the years from post World War II to the present, has evolved over time. Our first sculpture acquisition was a work by Austrian artist Karl Pfann. After extended discussion, Ted Ogden and Peter Stern decided to install it outdoors. As Peter has said, with that gesture, “the dialogue between art and nature opened.” Another early acquisition was Henry Moore’s resplendent Reclining Connected Forms (1969), which is sited on the lawn that surrounds the museum building. An important turning point was the acquisition of a group of thirteen sculptures by David Smith. They were originally installed as the artist had grouped them at his place in Bolton Landing, New York. However, we came to realize that thoughtfully positioning the works where they could interact with the landscape showed them to their full advantage.
It is important to mention that each visit to Storm King is different, depending on the season, time of the day, changing light conditions, and weather. People return over and over, as no two visits are the same. Moreover, because Storm King is best experienced on foot, visitors are encouraged to hike right up to the sculptures and engage with them. It’s quite wonderful to see the works in the distance and approach them from different angles, then look back to where you came from. I enjoy watching visitors approach the monumental works and seeing how they react when they realize just how massive the sculptures are.
Our ongoing goal is to continue to enrich the collection and deepen the experience for our visitors while maintaining the unique Storm King experience.
RC: You describe how the sculptures are affected by changes in light and weather. What are your favorite viewing conditions?
DRC: While each viewing condition is extraordinary in its own way, morning and late afternoon light are particularly interesting times to view the works. Every day, every hour, even every minute offers a new and unique revelation. Light, the quality of the sky and clouds, and the weather devise fresh encounters and perspectives. Sometimes, because of the mountains and climate, we get mists, fogs, and frosts which can be quite wonderful. I have been at Storm King since 1974, and each walk I have taken through the landscape has been and continues to be exceptional.
RC: How does the interaction between art and nature influence the programming and educational goals of the institution?
DRC: The interaction between art and nature informs the core of Storm King’s programming. With 500 acres of pristine landscape, we are more than a museum. We want our visitors to be inspired and delighted by a holistic experience. We want them to consider art in a new way, against earth and sky—exploring sculptures individually and in relation to works around them, all within the context of nature. We also strive to contribute to the understanding and appreciation of outdoor sculpture generally and within the art world community specifically; its creation, installation, conservation, and preservation.
Our public programs take full advantage of the setting, with docent-led walking and tram tours, hikes on the wooded trails, concerts, readings, talks, panel discussions, and family activities. We’ve even had kite-making and flying programs which add an element of fun to the enjoyment of the collection, particularly for budding art-lovers.
Flash Points: Art and the Environment
Spencer Finch, "White (Niagara Falls obscured by mist, April 17th, 2006 5:30pm)"
Today we launch the next Flash Points topic, Art & the Environment. We first addressed this issue in Season Four’s episode, Ecology, which delved into the work of artists who relate their work to nature in distinct ways. Over the next two months, we’ll expand upon these concepts and further explore how art is reacting to the environment, how the environment reacts with art, and everything in between.
From sustainability and alternative energy solutions, to green-collared jobs and maintaining a low carbon footprint, environmental concerns and how our world is addressing them is an ever-present issue. As artist Mark Dion stated in the episode, “We have a test ahead of us in terms of our relationship to the natural world. If we pass the test we get to keep the planet, but I don’t really see us doing a very good job of that right now.”
Take American national parks, for example. We’re reminded not only of how valuable these landscapes are as a national resource, but also how tenuously they hang in the balance. The parks were established in opposition to the commercialization of our country’s natural wonders—Niagara Falls being an often-used example. This place is still symbolic of both the beauty of our natural landscapes, and what happens when we try capitalizing on them.
Alec Soth, "Rainbow Inn," from the series "NIAGARA," 2005
Art as both a reaction to our environment, and as a method for building public awareness, aren’t new concepts. Carleton Watkins enticed Easterners in the 19th century to see the spectacular landscapes of Yosemite with his photographs. Artists of the Land Art movement of the 1960s and 1970s rejected the idea of the museum or gallery as a place to perceive art, and instead traveled to the remote outreaches of the U.S. and used the land as their medium. These ideas continue with artists today, who both showcase the natural world and react to the many environmental concerns that constantly threaten its survival. This includes artists such as Maya Lin, whose work immerses the viewer in the environment, inviting us to examine our own relationship with it.
Maya Lin, "Storm King Wavefield," 2007-2008
Another artist working in this vein is Eirik Johnson, who brings attention to the damage caused by national resource-based industry, and what this does not only to the landscape, but also to the people whose lives have been affected by it.
Eirik Johnson, "Elwha River Dam, Washington," from the series "Sawdust Mountain," 2006 – 2008
We’ll explore institutions that make it their mission to incorporate works of art with their surroundings, such as Storm King Art Center in upstate New York and the Chinati Foundation’s beautifully minimal desert, as well as the efforts made to protect both the art and the land.
Donald Judd, 5 untitled works in concrete, 1980-1984
Here are a few more of the questions we’ll be addressing over the coming weeks. We’d love to get your thoughts, and any ideas you have for additional sub-topics, in the comments below:
- How does art factor into the conversation on environmental preservation?
- How do artists react to today’s environmental issues?
- Can art be used as a way to contextualize and understand environmental concerns?
- When art is placed within the environment, what kinds of steps are taken to ensure its conservation, if any?
- Can art and nature co-exist?
Conveying Compassion
Doris Salcedo, "Atrabiliarios," 1992-93. Photo: Robert Pettus. Courtesy the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts.
When I learned that Doris Salcedo was being featured in Art21’s episode on Compassion, I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate artist to represent this theme. However to me, Salcedo goes beyond feeling compassion for the victims she represents in her work to being completely enveloped in their reality. By doing so, she’s able to give a voice to those who were silenced. This is especially strong in her work, Atrabiliarios, which powerfully illustrates what is left behind from the “disappeared ones” — empty shoes and unhealed wounds. This work is one of the few owned by the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, and was featured in our exhibition Portrait/Homage/Embodiment. The shoes, which are recessed in niches that are covered by roughly-sewn animal skins, are abstracted representations of individuals who have “disappeared” as the result of political violence in Colombia. The power of the work comes from Salcedo’s strong and immediate connection with her subject’s world.
While contemplating what to write for this post, I remembered that Salcedo gave a talk in St. Louis back in 2002, when the work was purchased. Looking through the transcript, she describes how you cannot understand a situation by analyzing it from a comfortable distance—something I think we’re all guilty of every time we open a newspaper. To fully connect with a situation she asks you to go beyond analysis and be “in the world” — to delve into the history and the lives of those involved. She emphasized that she considers her art to be “impotent” in actually changing the circumstances behind these terrible stories. However, the ability of her work to communicate is not only strong, but essential in continuing the memory of the victim. When a viewer contemplates Salcedo’s art, the pain of the victim being represented reaches out and connects with each viewer’s own memories of pain. This personal and private interaction with the work elicits compassion from the viewer and in that moment, connects him or her to the victim.
In a series of timely posts on Modern Art Notes, Tyler Green discusses the use of art as a means for understanding the difficult subject of torture. I feel that this sentence in particular can be applied to Salcedo’s approach to her work: “Perhaps because they embrace ambiguity rather than reject it, artists often excel at embracing emotionally and intellectually difficult subjects.” Through the openness of her work, Salcedo is able to communicate a fuller reality of the individual she represents, beyond newsprint or a CNN ticker. The violence inflicted upon the victims, the materials left behind, the artist’s position and that of the viewer — all of these combine to create a powerful cross-section of experiences and emotions, resulting in a stronger sense of understanding and compassion with those represented in the work.
Rachel Gagnon Craft is Communications and Web Manager at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts in St. Louis, MO.Emphasizing Visitor Experience
Another approach to museum transparency that I admire is that of the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. When you open the homepage of their recently re-designed website, you’re immediately confronted with two things – museum statistics and the question, “What’s it to you?” This theme of visitor feedback and museum stats are interwoven within the content on every webpage. The strong emphasis they place on public engagement also comes through in the choices they give to their website visitors. The visitor is able to select how they prefer to process certain types of information – for example, would you like to view the exhibition archives organized by images or text? The website tailors it’s content towards the way you’d like to interact with it.
I had an opportunity to speak with the MCA’s Director and Chief Curator, Cydney Payton, on the phone about this focus on visitor experience, and to find out if this idea extends into the galleries as well.
Museums and Transparency
Eyes may be the windows to a person’s soul, but to me, it’s a website. Well, at least into the soul of an institution. Everything put online is a choice, and that says a lot about the beliefs of that particular museum. What do they choose to emphasize and just as importantly – what don’t they? How is the information organized? Do these decisions mirror their mission as an institution? What drew me to museum blogging in the first place was the idea of information transparency. Museums didn’t have to be mysterious shadowy places, where the only discussions allowed were in hushed whispers in the galleries. Visitors could read the behind-the-scenes details of what goes into an exhibition and could engage in discussions with those involved. A few museums take this idea to the next level, by letting visitors not only see into every aspect of the institution but actively interact with it.
One museum that does this particularly well is the Indianapolis Museum of Art. In an interview on the Indianapolis-based blog On the Cusp in 2006, then newly appointed director Max Anderson made a statement which has proven to be true in a very short period of time: “I foresee making the IMA a model of transparency in revealing the collections, exhibitions, programs, and life of a great museum”.
I interviewed Robert Stein, Chief Information Officer and Director of MIS, to ask him about the decision to move in this direction and where they see it going from here:
Artist Interviews: Serkan Ozkaya and Pepe Mar
While working on the interviews for my last post, I had an opportunity to meet two artists who were putting the finishing touches on their respective exhibitions. Serkan Ozkaya’s work A Sudden Gust of Wind is still on view at Boots Contemporary Art Space and Pepe Mar’s exhibition Who Needs Guitars Anymore? is at White Flag Projects.
Georgia Kotretsos, Editor-in-Chief of Boot Print (which is, in my opinion, is one of the best art publications out there; click here for their online archive) interviews Serkan about his work. His piece is a reference to a Jeff Wall’s photograph of the same name, which references the work by Hokusai. Here he describes this connection, as well as the other ideas behind the work:
For additional background on Serkan Ozkaya, check out their website. Among other articles, they link to a great video of his previous project with the New York Times.
At White Flag Projects, Pepe Mar discusses his exhibition with White Flag’s Director, Matthew Strauss. Pepe’s work consists of three-dimensional “monsters,” which confront the viewer with their explosive color and form. Here he talks about his inspiration and why he chose to present his work here:
Three Questions
Boots Contemporary Art Space
White Flag Projects
For my third post about the arts scene in St. Louis, I wanted to get the perspective of two newer arts spaces in town – White Flag Projects and Boots Contemporary Art Space. Both opened about two years ago, and have filled a void – each in their own way – in St. Louis’s contemporary art scene. They often get mentioned together (something I’m perpetuating in this blog post…) but the differences in their outlook on St. Louis are as interesting as their similarities. So I asked the directors – Juan William Chavez from Boots and Matthew Strauss from White Flag – the same three questions.
Question one: What’s the current state of the arts scene in St. Louis?
Question two: What do you think still needs to happen?
Question three: How do you see your organization fitting in?
