Gregory Crewdson has been an artist that I have admired since high school. The images he creates depicts suburbia in strange ways that most would never imagine. Most people see suburbia as simple, dull, and boring, but these photos are far from that. The thing that attracts me most to his photos is the quality of the prints. They almost look too real, if that is even possible. The only thing that I can't relate to is his process behind it. These photos are all staged and set up perfectly, which takes much more time than the actual act of opening and closing the shutter. I have a lot of respect for the work that goes into it because I simply would not have the patience for all the work beforehand. Crewdson definitely has some bizarre thoughts, but they transfer into great pieces.
Teun Hocks' work was not my favorite. I enjoyed the ideas of them, but they are very repetitive. I don't really like the fact that the subject matter is always the same, which I would assume is the artist. I do like though the fact that the subject just happens to be on a background that looks painted. His pieces are more fantasies that are even more inconceivable than Crewdson's work. Though I do appreciate the ideas and the backgrounds, the main subject does get old to look at.
I really enjoy Jeff Wall's work. He is another artist that I researched in high school whose images always stuck with me. Wall's work is very complicated and there is a lot to look at. Even his straight photography is very detailed and his digital work is extremely interesting. You can sit and examine his piece "Dead Troops Talk" forever and you'll always find something new. Once again, I cannot even comprehend having the patience to set up and work with all the people that it takes to accomplish a work like this.
Cindy Sherman's black and whit photos were very different from those of the other three artists. I do appreciate black and white photography. I feel like the art of black and white photography is fading and shouldn't be over looked. Her photos capture the glamor of women in the late seventies and early eighties, and they do so very well. Her compositions almost seem like snap shots, but you know she had more in mind when framing them up. I enjoyed looking through these and I wish black and white photography was more prominent in schools and art today.
