Holiday Weekend Summary of Other Discoveries, And A Film Geek's Latest Faves

It's a holiday weekend here, so I haven't had time to do more than make an occasional check on the computer to see what's going on elsewhere. There have been some outstanding links provided by other sites worth a regular visit, and I'll just summarize a few that I managed to check out and enjoy:

* Poverty's Palette -- featuring Depression-era photographs shot in newly introduced Kodachrome color (for the time), which brings a startling immediacy to these images of rural families. As the introduction states: "...these photos give us more than just blues and yellows and reds -- they offer 'a new and complementary way of comprehending our national identity'.'' Seems appropriate for a holiday like Memorial Day. (thanks to Gordon Coale for the reference)

* AK47.tv is yet another quality online photography magazine, but instead of a focus on photojournalism or fashion or graphic design, it highlights a diverse array of contemporary photography...in fact, very much along the lines of what blogs like Conscientious and Consumptive and this blog and others like to point to in our entries. It benefits from detailed statements from the photographers and an excellent presentation of the photography itself -- few distracting bells and whistles and Flash, just loads of outstanding images. (I came across this link thanks to Phototalk). Very highly recommended.

* One of the outstanding discoveries featured in AK47 and by Conscientious more recently is Stephanie Schneider, who stages various mini-dramas evocatively and with bracing mystery thanks to the use of expired Polaroid film...I'm not sure I've ever seen expired film used as well as it is here, though the medium is but one part of the success of Schneider's work. (Some of her images evoke the wonderful, low budget movie classic "Detour", though the mood is more mystical and open-ended in Schneider's work, and I don't see an equivalent to the femme fatale Ann Savage).

Stephanie Schneider images

* Ann Masolino shoots modest but extremely personal black and white self-portraits and other images revolving around family and self in a way that evokes Francesca Woodman...this style can veer quickly toward self-indulgence , but Masolino is mostly thoughtful, sometimes whimsical, and she knows how to set compositions and moods well. (thanks to consumptive for the link)

* Finally, my last post referenced an article detailing photographic exhibitions of note for the summer...with the start of summer also comes the inevitable run of big-budget summer movies that mostly serve as excuses to get some air-conditioning. Once upon a time, I watched a lot more films than I do currently...even with the advent of many quality DVDs, life these days doesn't allow me to live the life of the film geek as much as I did years ago. But I allowed myself a recent run to the theaters and was pleased with what was playing: in the last month, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Saddest Music in the World, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, Kill Bill Vol. 2, and Dogville were all playing at once, and all warmed the heart of this film snob, and I could watch each of them at least twice.

All these films have lighting and cinematography and ideas that will inspire many photographers out there as well, even a movie as seemingly uncinematic as Dogville. And though I'm not given to fawning over Hollywood leading lights (or actors in general), Nicole Kidman has worked for directors as estimable as Stanley Kubrick, Gus Van Sant, and Jane Campion, but I think Lars Von Trier really got an amazing performance out of her for her latest. Of course, not everyone will agree (to say Dogville is polarizing -- good review, bad review -- is like saying it gets hot in July), but that's what makes Dogville so much fun, even at nearly three hours. (For film geeks, here's a fun interview of Von Trier by another film geek's filmmaker, P.T. Anderson).

Film Still from Dogville