Comments on: Torsten Hattenkerl’s “Autoportraits” http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/ A wide-open view of the practice of street photography by Michael David Murphy, While Seated. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:50:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Paul Rotheroe http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34054 Paul Rotheroe Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:48:57 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34054 I've never been a fan of conceptual art. You can have an interesting idea but , in my opinion, the images also have to succeed as individual images. I think these images offer very little of interest. I'm sorry to be so negative, I haven't seen the book, I think the images to analytical/cold. I’ve never been a fan of conceptual art. You can have an interesting idea but , in my opinion, the images also have to succeed as individual images. I think these images offer very little of interest. I’m sorry to be so negative, I haven’t seen the book, I think the images to analytical/cold.

]]> By: Cary http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34050 Cary Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:11:29 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34050 Autoportraits leaves me a tad cold. I agree, the pun or play on words that is the title is sort of annoying. Maybe flipping through the book I'd feel differently. I prefer the series by Morris, the total opposite of Martin Parr's Last Parking Space. To bring things full circle, you could take Parr's Love Cubes approach, where you try to match the person to their car. Autoportraits leaves me a tad cold. I agree, the pun or play on words that is the title is sort of annoying. Maybe flipping through the book I’d feel differently. I prefer the series by Morris, the total opposite of Martin Parr’s Last Parking Space. To bring things full circle, you could take Parr’s Love Cubes approach, where you try to match the person to their car.

]]> By: Michael David Murphy http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34023 Michael David Murphy Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:36:00 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34023 Here's the link to the Chris Morris work you guys are discussing: http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=609 Here’s the link to the Chris Morris work you guys are discussing:
http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=609

]]> By: Feli http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34022 Feli Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:50:42 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34022 Christophermorris.com is the wrong guy. As I mentioned I'm talking about Christopher Morris from VII. Take a look at several pieces of Morris' (VII) work. As far as I know he began experimenting with this style around the time he started shooting the White House for TIME. His book "My America" works a lot better than the car series. I agree that Morris could have edited 'Auto America' tighter. I probably would have dumped about 6 of those shots. But I find that the Morris shots that work, are better than the three shots from “Autoportraits”. Christophermorris.com is the wrong guy. As I mentioned I’m talking about Christopher Morris from VII.

Take a look at several pieces of Morris’ (VII) work. As far as I know he began experimenting with this style around the time he started shooting the White House for TIME. His book “My America” works a lot better than the car series.

I agree that Morris could have edited ‘Auto America’ tighter. I probably would have dumped about 6 of those shots. But I find that the Morris shots that work, are better than the three shots from “Autoportraits”.

]]> By: ES http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34021 ES Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:42:33 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34021 Ross Evertson's "Secrets" series is probably a better comparison to "Autoportraits", since its conceptual streak appears to be stronger to me: <a href="http://www.rossevertson.com/secrets.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.rossevertson.com/secrets.php</a> Ross Evertson’s “Secrets” series is probably a better comparison to “Autoportraits”, since its conceptual streak appears to be stronger to me:

http://www.rossevertson.com/secrets.php

]]> By: ES http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34020 ES Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:38:21 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34020 I looked at christophermorris.com and found a photographer who only does editorial and corporate photography, both quite specialized areas that are not very interesting to me. None of his photos were what I would call minimalist. But perhaps there is another Chris Morris out there. The Auto America series on VII site does indeed some nice shots, but overall it does not appear to be a very consistent or systematic body of work. I suppose Chris Morris can make a nicer edit of the series later on; right now the minimalism you were talking about shows up in only two or three of his photos. I looked at christophermorris.com and found a photographer who only does editorial and corporate photography, both quite specialized areas that are not very interesting to me. None of his photos were what I would call minimalist. But perhaps there is another Chris Morris out there.
The Auto America series on VII site does indeed some nice shots, but overall it does not appear to be a very consistent or systematic body of work. I suppose Chris Morris can make a nicer edit of the series later on; right now the minimalism you were talking about shows up in only two or three of his photos.

]]> By: Feli http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34019 Feli Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:13:10 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34019 What I am getting at that in terms of subject, composition and emotional impact I find these images very lacking. There is a fine line between what works and doesn't work when you are doing this very minimalist style. If it goes wrong it can either look like a shot from an IKEA catalog or one of the gazillion shots that are processed everyday at 1-hour photos or grabbed digitally and are of little or no photographic value. I think one guy who is getting this minimalist look it right is Christopher Morris. Click over to the VII Photo site and take a look at 'Auto America '. Much stronger compositions that turns a mundane subject into a piece of graphic art and capture a mood. And he doesn't even have any people in his shots. What I am getting at that in terms of subject, composition and emotional impact I find these images very lacking.

There is a fine line between what works and doesn’t work when you are doing this very minimalist style. If it goes wrong it can either look like a shot from an IKEA catalog or one of the gazillion shots that are processed everyday at 1-hour photos or grabbed digitally and are of little or no photographic value.

I think one guy who is getting this minimalist look it right is Christopher Morris. Click over to the VII Photo site and take a look at ‘Auto America ‘. Much stronger compositions that turns a mundane subject into a piece of graphic art and capture a mood. And he doesn’t even have any people in his shots.

]]> By: ES http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34008 ES Sun, 19 Aug 2007 20:09:11 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34008 I'm not sure what the above poster is trying to say about how things should be today, but this little project is certainly not that bad. I find photo #2 quite beautiful in a certain peaceful way, and the concept of "me and my car" to be quite interesting, relating to that of "my house is my castle" in my mind. Just for the heck of it, here's my perhaps unwanted opinion: This should have been medium format at the very least. Take that! I’m not sure what the above poster is trying to say about how things should be today, but this little project is certainly not that bad. I find photo #2 quite beautiful in a certain peaceful way, and the concept of “me and my car” to be quite interesting, relating to that of “my house is my castle” in my mind. Just for the heck of it, here’s my perhaps unwanted opinion: This should have been medium format at the very least. Take that!

]]> By: Feli http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/19/torsten-hattenkerls-autoportraits/#comment-34000 Feli Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:40:06 +0000 http://2point8.whileseated.org/?p=249#comment-34000 I'm sorry, but I see nothing special about these photos, nor do I believe they say much. So, he's doing a pun on a term. I don't think that's enough to support a whole book. 80 or 100 years ago it may have been a clever idea, as artists broke conventions that had been in place for hundreds of years, but today it falls a little flat. I’m sorry, but I see nothing special about these photos, nor do I believe they say much. So, he’s doing a pun on a term. I don’t think that’s enough to support a whole book. 80 or 100 years ago it may have been a clever idea, as artists broke conventions that had been in place for hundreds of years, but today it falls a little flat.

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