The photographers Terry Richardson, Ryan McGinley, William Eggleston, Nan Goldin, Stephen Shore, and Martin Parr were each recently given a FUJIFILM X-Series camera to go to town with. And last Thursday, the fruits of their experimentation were on view for all to see at the Aperture Foundation Gallery, at the opening of PHOTOGRAPHY. I chatted briefly with the show's curator, Ken Miller.
Alexandre Stipanovich: How did you envision having some of the biggest names in American photography all in one show?
Ken Miller: I wanted to show a spectrum of the history of photography, as well as important influences and styles. So the show starts with William Eggleston, who made color photography into fine art. Then is Ken Stephen Shore, who elevated the snapshot. Next is Nan Goldin and her self-documenting; Martin Parr and his documentary mockery of consumer culture; and Terry Richardson and Ryan McGinley, who I think combine these influences. Basically, I just decided to be really ambitious in selecting the photographers for the show. I mean, they're all incredibly amazing and famous, so I would have totally expected them all to say no. Which meant, what was there to lose?!
AS: How did you manage to convince each of them?
KM: No, it was super easy! That was the most amazing and inspiring part. They are photographers and they love taking photos, so they were excited to take photos. It was really that simple!
AS: Why the FUJIFILM X-Series camera? Do you think it had an effect on each photographer's approach to taking pictures with it?
KM: FUJIFILM approached me at an exhibition I curated in Tokyo in 2011. The show was called Pictures and it featured abstract photography by Marcelo Gomes, Mariah Robertson, Sam Falls, and Taisuke Koyama, displayed in a really amazing building designed by Tadao Ando. At first I was a bit nervous about the project, but we agreed that the photographers would have complete creative freedom to both shoot and edit however they wanted. My big worry was that the photographers' images would somehow look the same because they were using the same piece of equipment. What I think is amazing is how varied and personal the images turned out. It really shows that it is the photographer who makes the photo, and it's the role of the camera to optimize that vision.
AS: Did you intend for this show to coincide with the re-launch of Aperture magazine?
KM: Not intentionally, but I've known the editor Mike Famighetti for some time, and I'm a big fan. He helped coordinate the exhibition at Aperture, and I think the timing is perfect. The re-launch of the magazine is super exciting––I've learned a lot about photography from Mike, so it will be exciting to see what he's putting in each issue!![]()
Work by Terry Richardson (courtesy of artist)
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Work by Ryan McGinley (courtesy of artist)
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Work by Ryan McGinley
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Work by Nan Goldin (courtesy of artist)
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Work by William Eggleston (courtesy of artist)
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Work by Stephen Shore (courtesy of artist)
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Work by Stephen Shore
Alexandre Stipanovich: How did you envision having some of the biggest names in American photography all in one show?
Ken Miller: I wanted to show a spectrum of the history of photography, as well as important influences and styles. So the show starts with William Eggleston, who made color photography into fine art. Then is Ken Stephen Shore, who elevated the snapshot. Next is Nan Goldin and her self-documenting; Martin Parr and his documentary mockery of consumer culture; and Terry Richardson and Ryan McGinley, who I think combine these influences. Basically, I just decided to be really ambitious in selecting the photographers for the show. I mean, they're all incredibly amazing and famous, so I would have totally expected them all to say no. Which meant, what was there to lose?!
AS: How did you manage to convince each of them?
KM: No, it was super easy! That was the most amazing and inspiring part. They are photographers and they love taking photos, so they were excited to take photos. It was really that simple!
AS: Why the FUJIFILM X-Series camera? Do you think it had an effect on each photographer's approach to taking pictures with it?
KM: FUJIFILM approached me at an exhibition I curated in Tokyo in 2011. The show was called Pictures and it featured abstract photography by Marcelo Gomes, Mariah Robertson, Sam Falls, and Taisuke Koyama, displayed in a really amazing building designed by Tadao Ando. At first I was a bit nervous about the project, but we agreed that the photographers would have complete creative freedom to both shoot and edit however they wanted. My big worry was that the photographers' images would somehow look the same because they were using the same piece of equipment. What I think is amazing is how varied and personal the images turned out. It really shows that it is the photographer who makes the photo, and it's the role of the camera to optimize that vision.
AS: Did you intend for this show to coincide with the re-launch of Aperture magazine?
KM: Not intentionally, but I've known the editor Mike Famighetti for some time, and I'm a big fan. He helped coordinate the exhibition at Aperture, and I think the timing is perfect. The re-launch of the magazine is super exciting––I've learned a lot about photography from Mike, so it will be exciting to see what he's putting in each issue!
Work by Terry Richardson (courtesy of artist)
Work by Ryan McGinley (courtesy of artist)
Work by Ryan McGinley
Work by Nan Goldin (courtesy of artist)
Work by William Eggleston (courtesy of artist)
Work by Stephen Shore (courtesy of artist)
Work by Stephen Shore