Discuss Misha Gordin's Photographs

The Bee keeper

A
The Bee keeper

  • 1
  • 4
  • 111
120 Phoenix Red?

A
120 Phoenix Red?

  • 7
  • 3
  • 124
Chloe

A
Chloe

  • 1
  • 3
  • 108
Fence line

A
Fence line

  • 10
  • 3
  • 149
Kenosha, Wisconsin Trolley

A
Kenosha, Wisconsin Trolley

  • 1
  • 0
  • 121

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
198,170
Messages
2,770,580
Members
99,572
Latest member
hekoman
Recent bookmarks
0

df cardwell

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
3,357
Location
Dearborn,Mic
Format
Multi Format
Donald, my friend, I'm not clever enough.
 

mark

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2003
Messages
5,700
I like his work, but I think he leaves very little to the imagination of the viewer, but you are right, rife with symbolism.
 

copake_ham

Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2006
Messages
4,091
Location
NYC or Copak
Format
35mm
These are the kind of "images" that make me think that how can we now ever know what is really a "photograph"?

Before PS these images would have been very intriguing - now - maybe they are just PS tricks?

Sorry - too "slick" and "gimmickry" for my taste....

He does seem to like "tiny moons" though - is that a "symbol"?
 

blansky

Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
5,952
Location
Wine country, N. Cal.
Format
Medium Format
I think he takes photography to a different level.

He uses the medium as an illustrator would. He would be what I'd call an artist/photographer, where more mainstream work is perhaps
photographer/artists.

I like his work but it is too contrived/slickly produced/concept oriented for my taste. But I do think it is important work.


Michael
 

Curt

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2005
Messages
4,618
Location
Pacific Nort
Format
Multi Format
He is more an Art Director than a Photographer. There is no doubt that they are well produced. I'm not into this concept but it would be perfect for someone who is.
 

bill schwab

Advertiser
Advertiser
Joined
Jun 16, 2003
Messages
3,751
Location
Meeshagin
Format
Multi Format
Misha is a great friend and has an incredible mind. Although he moved from Detroit several years ago, it is wonderful when he comes "home" to visit. He came late to the digital side and although digi would be an obvious choice for making his images easier, he rejects Photoshop as a means to create his work. All is still done via enlargements, cutting, pasting and reconstruction. The man in no way considers himself a photographer and is somewhat insulted when considered one.

B.
 

Gay Larson

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
1,209
Location
Oklahoma
Format
Medium Format
I find his work interesting in weird sort of way but I agree I find them too contrived.
 

Charles Webb

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
1,723
Location
Colorfull, C
Format
Multi Format
His work shows great technical proficiency, but it is of no interest to me. Not being an artist myself, I would be hard to convince that there is no "PS" involved. Somehow everything is too perfect. I would call it different, but feel he is right to be upset when called a "photographer" Perhaps "Graphic Artist" may better describe his works in my eye.


Charlie...............................
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
OP

Donald Miller

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2002
Messages
6,230
Format
Large Format
My knowledge of Misha's work methods parallels that of Bill Shwab. Misha uses a pin registered easel in his work. I personally don't find any fault with his proficiency simply because it is more precise than my efforts.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,422
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
When I first saw this I was really confused. I thought it was going to be a thread about photographs by:

Mischa Barton

I guess I've watched too much "guilty pleasure" TV. :rolleyes:
 

bjorke

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Messages
2,257
Location
SF sometimes
Format
Multi Format
I'm sure he has a nice car and a fabulous house. His work is so very much its own brand, it's certainly not something one could hire him to do or find a lot of commercial application for. Instead it seems designed to be sold in galleries -- not the sort that would sell Penn or Gursky, but the sorts one finds at malls or along tourist strips like Kalakaua Blvd. I don't find that his work is so much rife with symbolism as that it's rife with faux symbolism, that his imagery looks like it should mean something but in fact it doesn't. But it sells for $2300 a pop and makes for, you know, a nice conversation piece and fills more space than a similarly-priced Lladro figurine.

Plus, little green footballs likes him, and you know how they are about manipulated photos and all.
 

Sparky

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2005
Messages
2,096
Location
Los Angeles
Format
Multi Format
Scandalous~! Bjorke - you're so BAD. I like it. Though I'd say on the whole - that's a pretty accurate assessment, for me at least. It's as though the work was made from a fairly subtle and well-thought out list of specifications.

Where's the beef?


bjorke said:
I'm sure he has a nice car and a fabulous house. His work is so very much its own brand, it's certainly not something one could hire him to do or find a lot of commercial application for. Instead it seems designed to be sold in galleries -- not the sort that would sell Penn or Gursky, but the sorts one finds at malls or along tourist strips like Kalakaua Blvd. I don't find that his work is so much rife with symbolism as that it's rife with faux symbolism, that his imagery looks like it should mean something but in fact it doesn't. But it sells for $2300 a pop and makes for, you know, a nice conversation piece and fills more space than a similarly-priced Lladro figurine.

Plus, little green footballs likes him, and you know how they are about manipulated photos and all.
 

Early Riser

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,676
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
bjorke said:
.....Instead it seems designed to be sold in galleries -- not the sort that would sell Penn or Gursky, but the sorts one finds at malls or along tourist strips like Kalakaua Blvd.

Plus, little green footballs likes him, and you know how they are about manipulated photos and all.


While his work is not my cup of tea, you are wrong about where his work has been sold. When I was represented by JJ Brookings in San Francisco, prior to their move to San Jose, there were plenty of Penn prints alongside Misha Gordin's.
 

Early Riser

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,676
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Bill, Misha has a nice house? Then clearly he's not an artist because as everyone knows all true artists are starving. Maybe if I skip breakfast my prints will have that much more significance.
 

Jim Chinn

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Messages
2,512
Location
Omaha, Nebra
Format
Multi Format
As someone else said, he is more artist/photographer than the other way around. In that sense he is carrying on in the best traditions of the Dada/Surrealists who used photography as simply a tool and not as an end to itself such as Man Ray, Herbert Bayer, Gyorgy Kepes and dr. Franz Roh as well as his contemporary Jerry Uselemann.
 

Q17

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Messages
71
Location
Minneapolis,
Format
Multi Format
billschwab said:
Misha is a great friend and has an incredible mind. Although he moved from Detroit several years ago, it is wonderful when he comes "home" to visit. He came late to the digital side and although digi would be an obvious choice for making his images easier, he rejects Photoshop as a means to create his work. All is still done via enlargements, cutting, pasting and reconstruction. The man in no way considers himself a photographer and is somewhat insulted when considered one.

B.

Small world, Bill. Misha is a friend of mine, too, now living about an hour north of me.

I would agree wholeheardedly with the assessment of his dislike for discussion of camera technique. He is concerned only with representing his heart in a finished work, all else can go to heck.

My understanding is that he does a run of ten images in the darkroom and the process can sometimes take up to a week to complete these ten images.

=michelle=
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom