March 2010
formspring.me
There is a common aesthetic running through the vast majority of your Tumbl’d images. IE- underexposure, grain, cyan/blue shadows, etc… IMO, this “look” seems to resonate most with younger viewers / artists. Do you have any thoughts as to why?
This revival of primitive technique, style and nonchalance has become a core facet of today’s sub culture. Lo-fi music, plaid, thick-framed glasses and a teenage ennui spirit circulate through the non-mainstream culture. These photos capture just that, the insouciant spontaneity, the illegality, and the carefree lifestyle. The energy built up in this aesthetic is aroused by excitement and eager anticipation, not by fear and worry and precision. It’s fast and fleeting. moments of “fuck you world.” The grain and incorrect color balancing are side-effects of these images. The photographer and the participants in the scene are not one to stop, meter and use tripods. low speed, low grain film would not suffice, neither would professional grade film. Pro Film will get too pricey for quick lifestyle captures, where multitudes of frames are needed to search through for that perfect depiction of listlessness or ennui.
(I’m not sure if that made any sense. I can’t really write a decent response in the space provided, and in the tiny text box, formspring.me provides.)
