Photo Art

Summary:

In this film noted Irish Photographer David Farrell talks about his relation to his art. He tries to analyze what draws him to a particular photo or photo idea and how the photo can evolve through both time and perception.

The major themes of absence and loss run like a common thread through the fabric of his unique view of the internecine political relationships of Northern and Southern Ireland. Despite initial misgivings as a southern irishman viewing a primarily northern ireland conflict, he was able to find his view in the publication of his book, Innocent Landscapes awarded with the  European Publishers Award for 1999/2000.
Buried in seemingly innocent landscapes are ironic reminders of the true complicity of the Southern Irish in this painful conflict. The symbolic relevance of the Moor landscapes also provide a connection to, and a preservation of, the past for the next generations. By returning to these sites and photographing them anew
he demonstrates natures way of reclaiming these sites and the scars the healing process leaves.

David discusses the deceptive impression regarding the ease of photography; making pictures and the difficulty of assembling a narrative. He also talks about the complexity of finding ones way into a Project.
He gives some insight to his new work "Né vincino né lontano A Lugo" a residency project of merely 13 days
in Lugo in the north of Italy. Here he investigates the surreal impressions of fog in landscapes that blur distance and closeness simultaneously. Finally he addresses his evolving relationship with in the medium of photography by juxtaposing traditional landscapes with a digital P&S user (himself) assuming the now classical position of framing a photo at arms-length. The metaphorical possibilities are endless in interpretation of the his continued journey in this medium we call Photography.

Summary:

Andrzej Dragan is a quantum physicist, with a professorship in Warsaw. He is also a composer and photographer. His photographs are portraits of persons beyond all ideals of beauty. With his works he wants to reveal the inconsistency of portraits to lead the viewer astray.

The shooting of a good model is irrelevant, Dragan says. In fact, he even does not like the photographing process very much. His works begins in the post-production, which can take up to a month for a single picture.

With his distinctive style Andrzej Dragan has already made a name of himself. Meanwhile the process of editing the picture in this unique look is called 'draganizing'. Dragan is not very pleased over the fact, that his works inspire others to do the same. In his eyes, copying is not very helpful to create something new.

We met the polish exceptional artists in the Hamburg G3 gallery at the opening of his exhibition "Allegories & Macabresques".

Summary:

Albert Watson, blind on one eye, has made a name for himself as one of the most successful fashion and advertising photographers in the world. Born and raised in Scotland, Watson studied at the Royal College of Art in London. Since the early seventies he lives and works in New York.

His photographs were used on more than 250 Vogue covers and numerous other publications such as Rolling Stone or Time Magazine.

Many of his pictures are classic portraits of celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock, the Rolling Stones member Mick Jagger or actor Johnny Depp. But Albert Watson does not only shoot the rich and famous, he also documents his travels around the world, works on still lives and art projects.

We met Albert Watson in Dusseldorf at his exhibition at the NRW-Forum Kultur. In this film he tells us about his life and the versatility of his photography.