What do you think of David's photography?

by **kinki** on Sun May 21, 2006 4:47 pm

Good bad, or indifferent?

When I first saw his photos (no people, lots of abstract images of umbrellas/ashtrays/gasoline containers etc) I didnt really like them, but with repeated viewing they grow on you, and have an unusual calm simple quiet quality. He finds beauty in the most unconventional of settings/arrangements of objects....

see http://www.davidsylvian.com/images/ for lots of examples....

by **krausy** on Sun May 21, 2006 6:42 pm

I understand what you mean. At first it is like wtf? but then you "see" what he sees, and on many you can get a glimpse of his sense of humor.

Wish my camera took pictures as clear as his but I'm sure he has waaay more money in his than my little Fujifilm digital.

by **godisinthesilences** on Sun May 21, 2006 10:50 pm

as a photographer i have to say at first with his newer work i thought the same thing "wtf?".... it seemed to be without direct subject matter... more like snap shots... then i was like... Yah that is it... they are life snippets. Pieces... glimpses ... parts of a story we don't ever get the ending to. I find myself creating my own history in the images.... moving through them.... drifting.... like a breeze whispering across my face.

by **kinki** on Mon May 22, 2006 5:29 am

Nicely put Gods....

And get this guys, whenever I have my camera with me Im always looking for similar 'unusual' compositions and different ways of seeing something. David's pictures have made me see the world in a different way...

...that there can be beauty in the most unassuming of objects/arrangements of objects...

by **Silver Moon** on Mon May 22, 2006 7:16 am

I loved Mr. Sylvian's photography as soon as I saw it on Preparations for a Journey! I also love the ones on his site. I love the random things he takes pictures of, 2 that come to mind are Pirates and Lollies

-Kera-

by **godisinthesilences** on Mon May 22, 2006 8:59 am

I teach photography in college and i actually show my students preparations for a journey. Most of them love it...once they get past the 80s quality. Then I give them an assignment of creating polaroid mosaics. The idea is for them to get outside the box of what is photography ... to begin to see the whole in its made up pieces. My students love this assignment and always do a very impressive job of it.
When i saw preparations for the first time i had a serious "A-Ha" moment.... I just wanted to do this and only this... I've done quite a few mosaics now... My favourite is doing people and buildings.... I like the idea that if you want you can leave sections out... missing... very interesting way to look at the world...

by **kinki** on Mon May 22, 2006 9:01 am

Both of which (Pirates and Lollies) look like they have been specially composed.....

I like things like...

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c141/kinkikath/ashtray.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c141/kinkikath/untitled-9jpg.jpg

and

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c141/kinkikath/center-of-the-universe.jpg

by **kinki** on Mon May 22, 2006 9:05 am

godisinthesilences wrote:Most of them love it...once they get past the 80s quality.

I like the idea that if you want you can leave sections out... missing... very interesting way to look at the world...

Great that you use Preparations for a Journey to inspire your students - Im not sure they have an 80's quality do they? What do you mean by that?

This whole 'thinking outside the box' of photography is very interesting. And it's refreshing to see lots of pics WITHOUT people in, and simply utilising everyday objects.

by **godisinthesilences** on Mon May 22, 2006 9:18 am

I meant the styling of the clothes and david's hair...

want to hear even funnier.... Most of my students weren't even born when this video was made... or the original pics... ah to feel old.... hee hee

by **lastgoldstar** on Mon May 22, 2006 9:40 pm

I quite like his photography. And I especially love his collages.

by **Silver Moon** on Mon May 22, 2006 10:01 pm

Kinki, I love the last picture- Center of the Universe... Great picture!

And Godinthesilence... What lucky students you have to be able to watch "Preperations for a Journey" In class! I would love to stay awake in class if we watched stuff like that!

-Kera-

by **kinki** on Tue May 23, 2006 5:38 am

lastgoldstar wrote:And I especially love his collages.

I used to make photo montages like those in 6th form - *she says proudly* - David was my inspiration....

by **kinki** on Tue May 23, 2006 5:40 am

godisinthesilences wrote:want to hear even funnier.... Most of my students weren't even born when this video was made... or the original pics... ah to feel old.... hee hee

Yes, you do feel old when you hear things like that....ah but what the heck, we all feel like teenagers inside dont we?....hehehe....

by **godisinthesilences** on Tue May 23, 2006 11:13 am

I'm a total teenager on the inside...HA HA....
I think my favourite series of images in david's gallery are the goodbye N.E.. I feel very much the same about NE and all the connections it has in my life...

by **proggrl** on Tue May 23, 2006 11:20 am

godisinthesilences wrote:I'm a total teenager on the inside...HA HA....
I think my favourite series of images in david's gallery are the goodbye N.E.. I feel very much the same about NE and all the connections it has in my life...

Agreed on all accounts! But I'm a MA native, so those photos hold special meaning to me. I think he captured the spirit of New England perfectly.

I also like his photos of just 'stuff', I used to take those types of pictures myself. Boy did that frighten the grocers! Why is she taking pictures of our produce? Why is she arranging our cans that way? :twisted:

What do you think of David's photography?

What do you think of David's photography?

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