Contemporary Photographers Project

Contemporary Photographers Project

Priya Kambli is an contemporary photographer, she was born on March 12th, 1975 in Mumbai India. At the age of 18 Kambli moved from her home in India to the United States with nothing more than the 20lbs suitcase she carried with her. Kambli began her artist career in the United States, she focused her work on that of the experiences of migrants. She attended both University of Louisiana and University of Houston. Her goal in her work it to have meaning, she likes to work with the idea of irony and struggles that immigrants face.

Anthony Goicolea is a first generation Cuban-American photographer born in 1971. His family moved to American ten years before his birth to Atlanta, Georgia. His family left shorty after Castro took over power, this fact plays an underlying price of his work. Most of his work is digitally modified self-portraits, landscapes, and narratives. One thing he has is known for is changing the colors to black and white and helping bring out the natural beauty of the peace in darker colors. The majority of his work is in black and white, or with darker lighting.

Dada Aajooba and Dadai Aaji, Button for eyes Color Falls Down Paper Boats

2015 2017 2006 2000

Class Picture Window Washers Low Tide Sky Lift

1999 2001 2006 2006

Both of these pieces or work look different, yet they are also the same. To start off on the compositional side they both are black and white images, taken at around eye level to the object (the one to the right seems as though the picture it self was taken higher rather than the angle up). The lighting is both dimly lit which causes the focus of the image to pop. They differ because one image is of paper boats and the other is of a gondola in a snowy day, they also differ because the Paper Boats image puts the viewer close up and makes it seem as thought they are right up close looking at the boats slowly burn away where as the other image to the right gives the viewer a much more far off view. I think that both of these artist were trying to convey irony in each piece, the Paper Boats is showing the irony that something that if affected by water can also hold such great weight yet also burn under to much pressure and the Sky Lift is showing that even though we are surrounded by people and people made things we are still alone.

I liked both of these images because they had so much going on, the lines in the image to right that seem to get lost in the mist of the unknown behind and then the burning paper boats in the image to the left, both of these images got me thinking about what could be behind and filling in the rest of the scene. I did not like the fact that the background was hard to see in both of these images, although it makes them interesting because its not known that is behind it is also frustrating because I want to know what is there and theres really no way of knowing for sure. These photos bring up the idea that so much is unknown and we cant see past the clouds or smoke beyond. Overall I really liked how Goicolea took the idea of being in nature but also being isolated with things still around, it made the work more interesting, I also felt that his use of black and white played a huge part in the overall look of the image it creates more of dramatic feel in his photos. I only really liked the Paper Boats image of kambli, although her other work had lots of meaning to her, it was not very interesting to look at, I found that her work failed to make me think, other than the Paper Boats image.

After researching and looking at different images from the artist we had chosen the next task was to take photos inspired by each artist, I took the idea of being alone and using darker colors to work with the theme of the photos, also with the idea of being simply.