"I think the only thing you'll ever see I specialized in is taking good photos" (Glen E. Friedman, as qtd. in Double Negative).It is quite a statement for any photographer to make, to say they specialize in good photos. It is perceived as arrogant, and perhaps naïve by those unfamiliar with the work of the photographer. Friedman is the exception to the rule. He needs only to provide one of his many phenomenal photographs to shatter any doubts that his statement is correct.But just what is a "good photo?" In a world where everyone is a critic, there are no set definitions of what is deemed "good" or "bad." Friedman transcends definitions by offering his audience a glimpse of life with each picture. His photos have feeling and sensations that scream out. Each picture makes you feel as though you were part of the action. Every shot shows you the world as he saw it. Glen E. Friedman had been involved with the skateboarding scene for four years before he started to take pictures of it. He started taking pictures because he realized that any pictures he had seen were not accurately capturing the essence of skating culture. He knew that he could do a better job at portraying everything about skating with his photographs. Friedman had taken a photography class as an elective in junior high school, and with his pocket Instamatic, he started documenting skating. Friedman had an advantage over the other photographers; in the sense that to him, this was not just merely taking down the evidence, skating was and still is a part of him. Photographs, to him, were "like autographs. I'd take a picture so that I know I was there, and that I captured a moment. I collected those moments" (Glen E. Friedman, as qtd. in New York Press). He was only in eighth grade at the time, but the power and intensity of his pictures could not be denied. He started showing his pictures to the skaters he was photographing. He then showed his photographs to a freelance Skateboarder writer, C.R. Stecyk, whom in turn told him to call the editor for Skateboarder magazine and send in the pictures. He followed the advice and sent in his work, a month later he received a check for $40 and a tearsheet of the picture he had taken (Sifton New York Press). "My name was on the picture...It was complete insanity from there. Eighth grade. I was blown away" (as qtd. in New York Press). From that point on, Friedman continually gained recognition for his incredible work. His photographs appeared more and more frequently in skating magazines. It was from this recognition that he came to be involved with a scene that was very closely related to skateboarding: music. Meanwhile, the "underground" music scene during the time period was vibrant with energy. A world full of angry youths rejecting the system they were told to believe in. His photographs portrayed this image, perhaps even an idea. The photographs blatantly reject the perspective of what may be deemed as "proper." There is a concise, clear image that lingers even after stopping to look at his photographs, an image that is saying "fuck you." His talent shines through because of the strong and powerful images and ideas he is presenting. He is showing you life as he sees it. Some say it was mere luck and coincidence that made it possible for him to be this successful. That perhaps he was just in the right place at the right time. He balks at the thought. A lot of it, I guess you could call it luck. You have to ask yourself - is it luck? Or is it some kind of talent that finds or perceives these things before other people do and see them the way I do? It was in my heart to shoot the things I did. These are the things I wanted to communicate to other people how incredible these things were that I was seeing in my life, and I wanted to do it in a way that other people could appreciate (Glen E. Friedman, as qtd. in Double Negative). He makes it clear that it is his talent, and that sets him apart from other photographers. Luck and situation have nothing to do with it. The subjects he chooses to capture motivate him in ways that translate well onto film. He puts his heart into every piece of work he creates. That is what makes his pictures so brilliant. Every element of compassion, anxiety, frustration, anger, joy and pain is felt when viewing his pictures. His version of success is through creating images that represent "the action or the occurrence in a way that speaks the truth in my eyes and in my mind and in my soul" (Glen E. Friedman, as qtd. in Double Negative). The brilliance of his work can be seen in each of his 3 books. Fuck You Heroes, which was published in 1994, was the first of his photography books. This book illustrated everything powerful about hardcore music, and skateboarding. This book was published to portray pictures of the "heroes" of the time frame (1976-1991) that said "fuck you" to those trying to set limits on what they could do. His second book, Fuck You Too, published in 1997, was a continuation of this representation. His most recent book, The Idealist, published in 1998, diverges from his "typical" work. This book by far, is his most incredible depiction. This book has shots from all over the world from the time frame of 1976-1996. This is more of a perspective book, than anything. One of the most powerful images of the book, entitled, "48 years, 364 days After," shot in Hiroshima, shows a sign with the words "A-bomb Survivors and Bereaved Families" yet there is no one in any of the seats. Other images in the book range from the rough perceptions and realities of violence, to lighter pictures of scenic landscapes. The book does not really centralize on anything other than aesthetics. Each picture has it's own ideals of beauty. In The Idealist, there is portrayal in particular of beautiful women. From a glance it appears as a typified depiction of how women are supposed to be: elegant and beautiful. He explains his reasoning for choosing the pictures of the women in his books. "I think I do know some incredible women and if I have a book of my aesthetic and happen to have them look beautiful or interesting in my photographs of them what could be wrong with that?" Further jarring stereotypes, would be the piece "Fallen Woman." A woman can be seen in this photograph sitting in a chair lying on the ground on her side. A car is seen approaching this woman. The picture appears as though he is a bystander looking on. What kind of message does this portray? "That woman was posing for some still frame movie animation. I saw that odd comical situation going on and shot the photo just because it looked so abstract and weird, I almost left that one out since it was really some one else's setup, but it was uniquely my angle on it from up the block." Looking through his books brings about many questions like "What ties all of these things together?" " How do these pictures relate to one another?" Rap, punk and skating seem to have totally different ideas behind them. With The Idealist, he seems to distance the connection even more. They are all brought together by one thing: attitude. Whether it is in the intensity of a person's face, or strong ideals in nature, or words. Attitude takes the place of action. It is this attitude that brings together each piece to create a symmetrical, beautiful image, one that his audience relates to. Glen E. Friedman has blatantly rejected the preconceived notions of what is "aesthetic" in photography. He has gained both respect and recognition as a photographer. His art can be seen in exhibits all over the world, and in the 3 books that he has published independently through his press, Burning Flags Press. Ian MacKaye, a close friend as well as a subject of Friedman's photography, sums it up best when he says, "It's all in the eye...there's an intensity that he's looking for that he obviously relates to. He knows it will come" (as qtd. in New York Press). |
washington city paper
review of "fuck you all" in dc
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