Round 2 Comments (page 1)

AL = Arnold Lehman, MP = Matthew Porter

#13 AOB - Brooklyn, NY
AL: Beautifully shot, tender, skillful. I love image #7. I really like that that many of the images are open to intpretation, that it presents a compelling world without didactically over-interpreting it.
MP: I have problems with some of these compositions—I think they play into the cultured urbanite's worst fears/stereotypes about “the other” in rural America. It furthers those stereotypes, even if the intent is the opposite. You see the family having a range of experiences, but despite this display of emotion the pictures are emotionally flat. If this were a film, I’d say that the director didn’t get proper “coverage”—no close-up.
AL: I disagree. I find more tenderness here than you. The open-endedness of this series will do nothing to dissuade existing stereotypes, but I don't think it actively promotes them. It's simply open-ended, in my opinion.

#33 CZ - Bronx, NY
AL: A few of these (especially 1 and 2) are just great. It effectively draws you quickly into its world. Effective, but maybe a tad ephemeral.
MP: I like images 1 and 3 on first viewing—the absurd and hilarious combination of  expression, costume, and setting. On second viewing, once the shock value has worn off, I feel like there's less to look at. Still, at least two or three very strong images here.

#53 GS - Brooklyn, NY
AL: Maybe I'm showing my age, but my mind is serially attuned. I'm still with the Bechers. I like all of these photographs individually, just not together. I'd buy image #1 for my personal collection.
MP: Very accomplished; very derivative. It wears its influences well, but too loudly for my taste. Large format, non-serial, subjective threads; a Roe Ethridge inspired narrative about lived experience. I actually applaud the non-serial approach, and I feel like I know where the artist is coming from, but I don’t respond to any of the images individually.

Next page
Previous page (Round 1)