Maggie Taylor

Three trees, two rabbits, 2005

 It isn't often that I find artist's that I can say with confidence that their whole body of work is good. Usually I will go through a ton of pictures and maybe one I will like - but such is not the case with the collage artist Maggie Taylor.


The thing that captivates me the most out of her work is her use of vibrant and brilliant colors. They are deep and create a mood within the picture of being surreal, as though it was a vivid dream. The composition, despite heavy use of having the subject straight in the middle, works for what she does.

As a collage all of her pieces work together seamlessly. Though it is clear that the characters in her work stand on a different plane as the background her use of contrast and deep shading make every part of her work look as though it belongs in the world that she has created.

William Eggleston & Everyone Who Has Owned A Camera, Ever

The work of a master, apparently

I have been faced countless times with the question "What is art?" and I always tried to keep an open mind about it as much as a could. In a lot of cases it helps to expand your worldview and something will make you think even if it is on a small level.

But then sometimes I find myself staring at a piece of work in front of me somebody made that someone else announced was great and I question my life and wonder things like "the hell IS this?" and "What am I doing with my life?" and, like today, "if THIS is a masterpiece why bother becoming an artist"

Luckily for this photographer he has other pieces of his work that are impressive, so his whole career doesnt hang in the balance of this.

This picture is not interesting. The colors are dull and mundane, there is nothing that can be said in defense of the composition, it is plain, boring, and belongs in the stock photo section of deviantart.com.

If this is all that it takes to become a master photographer, than what about just giving the title to anyone out there with a point and shoot? I mean really, what is the big difference between that photo up there, and something like this:

Besides this still looks better even after adding "poor" to the search terms.

Why not? Why not let anyone who can snap a picture of some trees without any integrity get to be called a "master." If I had been faced with either of these photos as part of my work for the day and chosen to not discard them or use them as stock but to hand it in as a "master" work of art I would deserve whatever punishment came my way.

This is nice.

Fortunately for him, he has a number of other photos in his portfolio that are not crap to redeem himself with.

Bruce Davidson

Bruce Davidson, 100th Street, Harlem

Upon looking through Bruce Davidson's collection I really wanted to be able to talk about each of his works but this one in particularly stood out. It might have been added to the effect of the music I was listening too (talking about the world being crazy - all that jazz) but his work has no issue coming across as powerful and intense. He really is able to capture the strength of the people he photographs and brings a strong contrast between their resiliance and the environment that is all around them of poverty and hardship.

What struck me the most about this picture is its masterful use of perspective and composition. Using the wall as a clear divider and seperating the two different worlds on either side. It really makes one question what it means to be on either side. What is shelter for those living in this environment? Does the inside mean safety or is it more of a frantic cling to what they want their world to be like "safe" whether that is reality or not? What does the outer world, in contrast, mean? The environment looking harsh and whethered creates a strong implication as to how the world feels to people who are in this position.

This image reminds me of what it feels like to look inside yourself and have to make a decision with no easy path ahead. It reminds me of the feeling of doing what you need to do to survive leading to a feeling of injustice. It is not fair that these people are forced to live in such a harsh and cruel world in these run down buildings on dirty streets when so many others can have the security of living in a well built, new house in the safety of the suburbs leading cushioned lives. More likely than not they did not do anything to put themselves there but were rather born into it and stuck in this cycle, living oppressed and in poverty.

But they do it, regardless, because they have too.