The connection between painting and photography is nowhere as apparent as when you compare photographs to hyperrealist paintings. In its early history, photography was struggling to become its own thing, often becoming something like bad paintings instead of using the medium for what its native strengths are. But at the same time, there’s nothing wrong with one medium approaching another, if it’s done in the right way. Compare Gregory Thielker’s paintings to Todd Hido’s series Roaming, above. Both artists take as their subject the same sort of landscape: rainy days seen through windshields. Thielker approaches photography in his paintings, while Hido’s photographs seem to approach paintings. The thing is, in Hido’s case, at least, it’s done entirely right. These are, or at least appear to be, straight photographs. That’s really what the world looks like when you’re on the road on a rainy, windy day. Normally, I don’t like when the subject’s blurred, but I think the way the rain naturally distributes the smudges that partially obscure the world works really well. It’s not distracting. It doesn’t call attention to the fact that it’s a photograph; it doesn’t break the fourth wall, so to speak. I really like what I’ve seen of Roaming, and also, of course, the fantastic homes at night series.
Oct 15, 2010