“The photograph is an
attempt to give the perception of the moment some relationship to immortality.” [1]
-- Larry Fink
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Pat Sabatine’s
Eighth Birthday Party, PA, 1977,
cover photograph of Social Graces
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When it comes to defining the American
experience, photography is often the medium of choice, from the striking Great
Depression imagery of Dorthea Lange to the graphic contemporary portraits of
Annie Leibovitz. One such photographer
that excels at capturing the American spirit is Larry Fink. Fink portrays the American lifestyle with a
balanced mixture of bitter social commentary and intimate sentimentality. In his first publication Social Graces,
1984, Fink nostalgically compares the celebrations of varying social classes[2], whereas
the artist reveals poignant poverty in America
in his 2003 series “Diminishing Returns”, originally published in Vanity
Fair and later exhibited at Princeton
University[3]. Fink’s oeuvre encompasses a large range of
themes and evokes every imaginable emotion.
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Kate Moss, NYC,
1999
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Fink was born in Brooklyn, New
York in 1941 and began his career as a professional
photographer in the 1970s, photographing events of the upper classes, such as
museum galas and art openings. He has
gone on to show work regularly in galleries in New York, L.A., and Paris as
well as one man shows at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American
Art, and many more both in America and abroad.
He worked as a photographer for Vanity Fair, chronicling
celebrity and high society nightlife. He
has also published multiple books, most recently a retrospective collection of
works titled Attraction and Desire: 50 Years in Photography[4].
Fink
often opts for closely cropped, confrontational compositions that press closely
into the psyche of his subjects. Alternatively,
he may avoid faces altogether for a voyeuristic style. Black and white is his
forte, and he effortlessly manipulates light and dark to isolate subjects from
a crowded room and create graphic shapes.
Though he is often recognized for his iconic, glittering imagery of Hollywood, Fink has done
projects of every imaginable subject, including beatniks, boxers, working class
families, and the occasional presidential candidate, including President Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton.
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Declaration of Independence, Martin’s
Creek PA, 1978,
“Making Out: 1957-1980”,
GW Permanent Collection, Gift
of Adam J. Rappaport, 2010.
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In a New York Times interview Fink commented on his work,
“My life is profoundly physical. Photography for me is the transformation of
desire" [5]. Certainly this concept
presents itself in his series titled “Making Out: 1957-1980”. In this series, Fink explores the intimate
nature of human relationships by capturing personal moments between friends and
lovers. In Declaration of Independence, Fink casts light only on faces and body
parts, allowing the emotions of his subjects to come to the forefront in
tangible form, while the background seems to recede into vague darkness. The clever inclusion of “Declaration of
Independence” banner on the wall behind the subjects’ heads highlights the
serie’s themes of American passion.
Larry Fink currently works as a professor of photography at Bard College
while continuing his work as an artist, and has educated students there for the
past 16 years. Whether documenting the
biggest stars or the smallest basements, Fink’s work is a lively testament to
the beauty of the human condition.
Visit Larry Fink’s blog at http://larryfink.blogspot.com/
for updates on his current projects!
[1] Larry Fink, interview by
Adriana Teresa, “A Moment with Larry Fink”, New York Times, January 6,
2011, accessed January 25, 2013, http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/a-moment-with-larry-fink/.
[2] Larry Fink, “Publications:
Intros : Social Graces,” Larry Fink Photography, accessed January 25,
2013, http://www.larryfinkphotography.com/publications_intros.html#socialgraces
[3] Jenny Boyar, “Poignant
photos from controversial artist Larry Fink,” The Lafayette, March 11,
2005, accessed January 25, 2013. http://www.thelaf.com/a-e/poignant-photos-from-controversial-artist-larry-fink-1.2517150.
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