“I always wanted to be a photographer. I was fascinated with the materials. But I never dreamed I would be having this much fun. I imagined something much less elusive, much more mundane.”
Lee Friedlander, 1989
Lee Friedlander experimented with the American social landscape in 1948, the point of his work was to display a vast amount of visual information in dynamic compositions. In result created humorous and poignant images within chaos of city life or natural dense landscapes. During the early stages of his photography, his career focused on the streets which displayed evidence of the complexity of the American social landscapes producing candid photos in sly compositions of people, buildings, advertisements and reflections. Between the years 1950s and 1970s, continuing working on the streets Friedlander presented jazz, country, and blues performers which later appeared on album covers. Within this time period he produced a series of portraits in 1960s, called the little screens showing television screen in motel room an other spaces pairing others disquieting landscapes of tv images within their mid-century surrounds.
fraenkelgallery.com
https://www.artnet.com/artists/lee-friedlander
Friedlander capture’s store front reflections, structures framed by fences, posters and street signs. With help from the natural environment and architecture to frame the subject. He experiments with unusual camera angles, and inventive lighting which bring life to the photographs challenging the viewers perspective. This involves looking at reflections, shadows, textural elements often displayed through people in everyday life. “His images encapsulate the common, yet overlooked, moments of life, highlighting their innate beauty and significance.”
Streets:
‘Flattening a dynamic space into a photographic image,’
Lee Friedlander
looking at people who are reflected in windows and mirrors who are framed by lamp posts and doors, which creates these interesting narratives and new relationships. I love this element of the photos, as new formations appear everywhere, making it very interesting and engaging drawing you in. This hectic and busy layout gives you lots to see and look for, creating this gripping dynamic of the relationship between the people and buildings. I think including people you know within this would create an interesting narrative to experiment with, as perhaps to them they could have relationship with this. I also love the more simple approaches like in the bottom right of the four above, as this shows a simple but effective composition. I love this candid look as I feel this alone draws your attention in, to the very few subjects and asymmetrical compositional. I love how this is further expressed through different tones, and high contrasted effects. I want to experiment with this feature during my photoshoots, being assertive and aware of my surroundings that show clear understanding of contrast, that I can further emphasise and develop in lightroom.
I am particularly interested in the photos Friedlander captures of people in reflections where you can see clear shadows and shapes expressed through this. I love how you notice the main photo straight away, noticing the clearly visible subjects, then, another ‘layer’ is revealed, for example reflections in windows, where you can see another scene of silhouettes of people or buildings. Like shown in this photo:
I love how this effect merges two photos together, creating unique compositions. Through these effects new shapes are revealed along with tones and shadow, which complement one another creating unique patterns and lines revealing this gradient of colour that’s produced.
Signs:
Early 1960s, Lee Friedlander focused on signs that describe the American landscape, hand lettered fonts to shop windows and signs. This describes Friedlander’s approach to America, through a poetic and desirable way, shown through what he captures. I found this an interesting concept, as the signs are communicating this message, whilst having this engaging relation with the subjects for example the people. The compositional and textured elements shown in this, overall creates these interesting forms and shapes. I love this connection between these two ‘subjects’ as they connect in ways through what they wear to the backgrounds they’re presented in.
Baltimore, Maryland displays the high contrast of highlights, tones, structure, and pattern creating this interesting feature. The way the subject of the person is perfectly outlined by the door, looks as if its been staged creating this interesting effect as actually been captured in the moment. Throughout this photo you can see his style coming through of reflections, shadows and textural elements, overall being emphasised by the contrasting tones. Through this, new shapes and patterns are brought out in which you wouldn’t notice before, I feel this really creates this interesting and dramatic effect. Whilst also creating this interesting feature as your eye is naturally drawn to the centre, where lighter tones are shown emphasising the formation of lines and patterns displayed on the buildings, which are again highlighted sublty by darker tones of shapes. The lighting displayed helps to create this contrasting feature within the photo adding to the dramatic effect, leading to a high contrast in tones bringing out unique shapes and patterns that haven’t been seen before. The white balance in the photo is evident, shown to us through he warmer and cooler tones displayed to us in the high contrast. Different highlights are brought out to you through this, specifically in the lighter areas giving it this warm tone. Unique formations are formed, the layering effect that’s created displays interesting contrast between what seems to be two landscapes merged together. I am inspired by this effect, where the darker shadows are displayed, a new landscape or perspective is revealed, through the reflection. The atmosphere created is engaging as all around the photographer is captured, perfectly signifying ‘moments of life, highlighting their innate beauty.’ In relation to the quote, the real beauty is revealed capturing moments, that are revealed through reflections. This could also have something to do with the women we are presented with through the window, which could be describing her world all around her. I find the depth created, explains a deeper meaning as one photo/layer leads perfectly onto the next so you eyes are constantly revealing new landscapes, of interesting formations which are shown through sharp, and bold architectural forms, to graphical signs and lettering.