family
and
fotos
Lots of photos. One afternoon, my sister-in-law and I managed to take in the Katy Grannan exhibit at the Fraenkel Gallery, “Exposed” and the Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as the unbelievable installation of photographic treasures at Pier 24. That day was topped off with the opening reception at the RayKo Photography Center.
Katy Grannan is a Yale MFA grad who lives in Berkeley. Her show “Boulevard” features large, crisp color portraits of San Francisco and Los Angeles street people. Grannan has assembled an eclectic array of anonymous passersby, each one more visually interesting than the next. She photographs with a digital Hasselblad, using the high contrast sun of midday to set a hyper-real tone. It is a striking portrayal of transvestites, motorcyclists, addicts, aging beauty queens, hustlers, etc. all posed in front of whitewashed stucco walls. The prints are gorgeously printed: saturated and precise. I found myself inspecting every sharp detail, trying to imagine the stories that accompany each subject.
Frish Brandt, an old friend and director of the gallery (and a wonderfully warm, engaging and smart woman), treated us to a special viewing of a few goodies, including a self-portrait Diane Arbus made for her husband, Alan, when she was 23 and pregnant. Frish also showed us “Two Girls in Identical Raincoats, Central Park, N.Y.C, 1969". The image had been included in the first edition of Arbus’ Aperture monograph and in her show at MOMA. The father of the young women insisted that the image be pulled from both, because he felt it was unflattering. Recently, the estate has begun making prints of it. It’s a powerful image, and it was a treat to get to see it.
Both installations at SFMOMA were incredible. “Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century” surveys the photographer’s entire career, with a presentation of about three hundred photographs, arranged thematically and supplemented with periodicals and books. I only got a couple of pictures before I was reprimanded by a security guard, but trust me; it was a provocative, comprehensive, beautiful compilation of the work of the father of modern photojournalism. All the greatest hits were there, plus some obscure work I had never seen before.
“Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera Since 1870”, also at SFMOMA, presents more than 200 photographs that investigate the ways artists (and everyday people) have addressed the voyeuristic nature of the medium. There are works by major artists, including Brassaï, Walker Evans, Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton, Paul Strand and Weegee as well as photographs made by amateurs, professional journalists, paparazzi and governmental agencies. With the onslaught of cell phone cameras, You Tube videos, security cameras and satellite views, this show is particularly current and thought provoking.
The opening of “4xAfrica” at the RayKo Photography Center was a great way to finish the day. I was really pleased to be included in the show.
It was fun meeting folks from the SF photo community and checking out the all the cool stuff at RayKo (including a dizzying array of used cameras ranging from 35 mm to 4x5 plus every plastic one imaginable, a large traditional darkroom, a digital lab, a groovy “general” store, an art vending machine AND an old photo booth!) I really enjoyed getting to know RayKo's director Ann Jastrab, too.
While in the Bay Area I got to spend lots of time with my brother and sister-in-law and even got a surprise, last minute visit from my sonny boy Max, who drove up from LA with some of his friends. Icing on the cake.
In my next post, I’ll fill you in on Pier 24, which truly was the centerpiece of my photo viewing experience in SF.
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