Ryan Mcginley: The Kids were Alright
Ryan McGinley is an American photographer, renowned for his self-published book ‘The Kids were Alright’, which depicts his hedonistic teenage years. It was published in 2017 and focuses on youth in the 90s and, more specifically, documenting himself and his group of friends as they explored themselves through experimentation with sexuality, drugs and other physical pleasures. The images were taken between 1998 and 2003, consisting of portraits, old polaroids and portraits of his group.
Mcginley was declared “the most important photographer in America.” in a 2014 GQ article. His work is applauded due to its themes of emancipation and indulgence. His images dissolve the anxiety surrounding adolescents’ consumption of illicit drugs and risky sex by presenting it as a vision of a free and rebellious alternative life. Mcginley achieved this by documenting his group’s debauched lifestyle. They were presented as grating and fearless individuals, hyper-focused on moments of pleasure. Their main focus was to carry out self-indulgence.
“McGinley started out announcing that ‘The Kids Are Alright,’ fantastic, really, and suggested that a gleeful, unfettered subculture was just around the corner—’still’—if only you knew where to look.”
Dash Snow, in the New York magazine: Chasing Artist and Downtown Legend Dash Snow
You can read more about Ryan Mcginley here
Photo Analysis
In Ryan Mcginley’s ‘Tree #3’, he presents how a group of people have embraced nature as a site of freedom, and in this particular piece, he captures a sense of gaiety and freedom. The individuals are completely nude and exposed, showcasing the vitality and vulnerability of humans in regards to nature’s grandeur and sublimity. It presents an expression of liberation and bliss in connection with nature, which is often an experience missed out on by many due to social expectations and the shame/embarrassment regarding nudity and public displays of bareness, despite it being our most natural form.
The raw setting of this image is highly impactful. The photo depicts a massive tree, which McGinley claims one of his subjects scaled during the process of the shoot. This inspired him, but he didn’t photograph it, however, as he felt that one person in a tree wasn’t an effective enough image. He returned the next day to clear out the branches in the tree, allowing for it to accommodate a larger group of individuals, which he felt would create a beautiful image. The photo has been taken from a low angle, with no visible ground within the frame. The effect of this gives an aspect of danger and recklessness, amplifying this sense of vulnerability. Additionally, the lack of placement and reasoning behind the nudity suggests a larger narrative, one which creates ambiguity and leaves the imagination up to the viewer.
Though Mcginley altered the tree and expressed what he wanted for the shoot, it is an arguably informal image. McGinley states that he cannot pose people for pictures, that ‘Everything has to be free…. I like to think of my photo shoots as happenings.’. He’s created a suitable environment for his subjects to experiment with. His image shows, in essence, the concept of the decisive moment, with the event itself being fleeting and spontaneous.
Nighttime and darkness often symbolise an absence of God’s presence and faith plays a huge part in McGinley’s work. Having studied religious art, Mcginley claims that Michelangelo’s ‘The creation of Adam’ had a huge impact on his photography. He states it was the first sighting he’d had of a naked man’s body. Michelangelo’s worship of the human body is reflected in McGinley’s portraits and particularly in this image. The juxtaposition between the deprivation of God (photographing at night), and this imagery of Adam (presented through nudity) creates a strong, almost ethereal image.