Face – Bruce Gilden
“Face” is Bruce Gilden’s latest book, a photographer I have previously expressed admiration for in an earlier blog post.
Although I don’t have a copy of the book, I have come across reviews and example images in the Sean O’Hagan on Photography section of The Guardian website.
These images are exactly why I admire Gilden. As a photographer, he is direct and unapologetic. It’s often said that he practically “mugs” his subjects for the shot, and in this book, Gilden has produced an authoritative collection of raw, warts-and-all portraits.
For the past three years, I’ve been working on a personal project of street portraits, and while I’ve tried to keep the pictures as true to life as possible, they are nowhere near as unflinching as the ones Gilden has captured.
Primarily known as a street photographer, Gilden’s portraits feature no street scene, only close-up headshots (shot with permission) of some of the most strikingly unglamorous people you’ll ever encounter. His street photography style makes these portraits feel brutally real, and perhaps, hard to look at.
Sean O’Hagan’s review is less than glowing, suggesting that Gilden’s work feels exploitative and voyeuristic. However, I believe this work demonstrates how photographers must remain true to their own vision.
O’Hagan’s critique raises an interesting point—how is Gilden’s approach any different from Diane Arbus, who often sought out “freaks” for her portraits? Why is Arbus hailed for her work simply because she was one of the first to shoot in such a way, while Gilden is criticized for doing something similar with a slightly different subject matter?
In the same vein, aren’t all street photographers, in some way, exploitative? We work with a code of ethics—avoiding shooting children, or not photographing beggars or the homeless in a way that feels intrusive—but we all look for our own “freak,” the one person who will create the most compelling shot. Just because a picture is beautiful doesn’t mean we aren’t exploiting the subject in some way.
To conclude, if I were asked what my passport photo would look like if Bruce Gilden took it, this book would be my answer.
Bibliography
O’HAGAN, Sean. 2015. A latter-day freak show? Bruce Gilden’s extreme portraits are relentlessly cruel. [online]. [Accessed 03 Sep 2015]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/aug/19/bruce-gilden-face-street-portraits-photographs-book>
THE GUARDIAN. 2015. In your face: Bruce Gilden’s extreme closeups – in pictures. [online]. [Accessed 03 Sep 2015]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2015/aug/19/bruce-gilden-face-extreme-closeups-in-pictures>
KIM, Eric. 11 Lessons Diane Arbus Can Teach You About Street Photography. [online]. [Accessed 08 Nov 2015]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/15/11-lessons-diane-arbus-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/>
