Philip-Lorca diCorcia – Photographer (Born 1951)
Simon, my tutor, suggested I explore the work of Philip-Lorca diCorcia in comparison to that of Bruce Gilden (or Bruce Davidson). Immediately, the differences in their styles are apparent, though both convey an intense reality in their images.
Where Gilden “ambushes” his subjects, capturing spontaneous action to produce raw, visceral street photographs where you can almost smell the street, diCorcia takes a more deliberate approach. He sets up his shots carefully, controlling the lighting and angles before inviting the subject into the frame. While some candid shots occur when people walk into the pre-arranged composition, the overall method is more intentional.
It’s often said that diCorcia’s work “blurs the lines between what’s real and fictional” (HepworthWakefield, 2014), making his photographs much more than traditional portraits or street photography. His images invite the viewer to take an active role in interpreting the scene, as he maintains a certain distance between himself and the subject. This unconventional approach allows for a different perspective, one where the viewer can assign meaning in a more personal way.
This detachment partly stems from diCorcia’s own discomfort with photographing people. However, this distance imbues his images with a dramatic quality, almost like film stills, which sets them apart from more candid works like Bruce Davidson’s Subway Series. The sense of staging in diCorcia’s work, combined with the narrative depth of his subjects, creates a sense of tension and reflection.
I have been particularly drawn to his Hustler series. Though these images are staged through lighting, they immerse the viewer in the scene, conveying a sense of despair and isolation from society. The subjects, often on the margins during the AIDS crisis of the early ’90s, seem frozen in time, and the lighting accentuates the emotional weight of their stories. These images feel like individual frames from a larger narrative, each one amplifying the desperate, raw energy of the time.
Bibliography
- HepworthWakefield. 2014. Philip-Lorca diCorcia: Photographs 1975 – 2012 [online]. [Accessed 22 Aug 2015]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So_FK4qnz5Q
- Bicker, Phil. 2013. Trade: Philip-Lorca diCorcia’s Hollywood Hustlers. [online]. [Accessed 22 Aug 2015]. Available at: http://time.com/3803327/trade-philip-lorca-dicorcias-hollywood-hustlers-drug-addicts-and-drifters/
