I read all comments before opening the link to the Wayne's site. I was prepared to see something blasphemous and was ready to rebuke it. But I had such a joy from what I saw. Consider me a pervert, but Wayne's work is just wonderful. Not many people are able to work on the border of what is culturally acceptable or even legal and remain within the realm of art. Joel-Peter Witkin is one of them. He is really terryfying. Wayne Martin Belger follows his steps but he is much lighter, not gothic at all, almost a joke. But he is doing real stuff. I think I stop my miserable attempts to do something "artsy" and pretend being an artist. No more postings to APUG gallery.
What would you think of a bellows made from human skin?
It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again!
Might take a couple of layers, skin is rather transparent (doesn't matter your "color"). Have to be tanned a bit to toughen it up.
Other than our society's taboos against using any part of the dead for art/science/good-luck/worship I see no reason to condemn anybody else for doing it. Not every society on the planet (current or past) has the same taboos.
As I understand the 3rd-eye camera, the skull was part of a long forgotten medical kit. That can be just as an ignomonious an end as anything else. Maybe less so, maybe more so. But if somebody finds your skull, ignored and forgotten after such service I should think it would be a nice tribute. Granted, the decoration of the skull is a little over the top for my tastes but the intentions seem good and honest.
But he is doing real stuff. I think I stop my miserable attempts to do something "artsy" and pretend being an artist. No more postings to APUG gallery.
I wouldn't stop posting, your stuff is twice as good as his.
Hmm, human skin as bellows...not unless I had a statutory declaration that the previous owner of the skin wanted to become a field camera after death.
BTW I don't think Belger should be stopped from making his art, just that it's not good art in my eyes despite the obvious rare skill with which he constructs his cameras.
Was anyone else most impressed by the workmanship but utterly creeped out by the materials of the cameras?
He does build each of his cameras himself correct? That's impressive regardless of the "materials" he chooses to use. I did read an article somewhere about him a few months back. Maybe he had something showing here in Montreal, can't remember.
It's like his camera's take the attention away from the work produced. A different approach for sure.
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I like the photographs, I find they're mostly quite expressive, although I don't think it matters if the camera that took them is made of a human skull or a biscuit tin - it's your photographic talent and craft that matters, not your choice of equipment.
As for the cameras, I find them rather vulgar, and the whole concept behind them contrived. To be precise: I admire what looks like great craftmanship - but the concept, and the design and choice of material I think points the attention away from the important thing - the actual photographs these contraptions are able to produce. Over the top, imo!
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Søren
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources" - Albert Einstein
To me his work is equal parts sculptural and photographic. He shows the work presented as an installation. To say that the only thing that matters are the photographs and the camera makes no difference is clearly missing his point, at least part of it. I also find it contrived in the sense that one of the definitions of contrive means to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent. He's certainly doing that. I think the work is great and very original and shows a high degree of dedication and skill.
I walked 47 miles of barbed wire,
Used a cobra snake for a neck tie.
Got a brand new house on the roadside,
Made out of rattlesnake hide.
I got a brand new chimney made on top,
Made out of human skulls.
Now come on darling let's take a little walk, tell me,
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Arlene took me by the hand,
And said oooh eeeh daddy I understand.
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
The night was black and the night was blue,
And around the corner an ice wagon flew.
A bump was a hittin' lord and somebody screamed,
You should have heard just what I seen.
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Arleen took me by my hand, she said Ooo-ee Bo you know I understand
I got a tombstone hand and a graveyard mind,
I lived long enough and I ain't scared of dying.
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Location: [for now] Arizona, U. S. A. [near future?] "Land of Enchantment"[NM]
Posts: 197
That skull camera is exceedingly bizarre!! And I like it!!
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[FONT=Verdana]"the real truth of a photographic image is in its ability to evoke emotion."--Bryan Peterson[/FONT]
[COLOR="DarkOrchid"]My Muse wheels Herself about in a wheel-chair![/COLOR]
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