i’d love some Jeff on my Wall

Jeff Wall isn’t interested in what Cartier-Bresson described as the “decisive moment,” but rather, the recreation of what defined the moment. His philosophical choice to make traditional art has characterized Wall’s work, which is heavily produced and staged to an incredibly tedious extent. His pictures provide poignant, yet subtle commentary, but Wall simply wants to present a picture, in and of itself. I think Wall’s work has changed my mind indefinitely about what constitutes integrity in a picture. Wall’s work seems to defy considerations of integrity of a picture being consistent with the authenticity of it. It embraces a picture’s ability to stand by itself. Subject matter becomes secondary to aesthetic influence on people. I find myself mesmerized by Wall’s works, with the rich visual experience they offer. I could seriously look at “An Octopus and Some Beans” all day long.

‘Mimic’ speaks heavily to me, and is a powerful statement on racism, which I can directly relate too. His work redefines the way photography can interact with an audience. The fact that these aren’t genuine moments in time doesn’t take away from the integrity of the picture for me. They are theatrical, but express such intense nuanced details, which are captivating. The dramatic backlighting of his images give the sense of depth, in pictures such as “Volunteer” and “A View From An Apartment, force me to want to go into the picture and explore the depth of the setting.