graphite & putty eraser/20x30cm
original source: 'The Guardian' 09/09/08
Considering again the process by which a photograph might become topical for use in a daily newspaper, this original – dating from 1979 – was printed to illustrate an obituary, of someone other than either of the subjects portrayed: the two musicians are/were members of the band Joy Division, pictured in performance at a venue owned by the obituaree concerned, undoubtedly chosen for their own iconic status (see this recent post & related drawing, & also this earlier critique of the film ‘Control’), enduring for all their brief lifespan.
Again, the image was chosen for its inherently photographic appearance, its blurred capture of a frozen moment of movement (in this instance Ian Curtis’s famously jerky, angular style of dancing) & the tonal contrast between the spot-lit highlights & the velvety, fathomless blacks that bring to mind the striking chiaroscuro of Caravaggio & a particular tradition of Spanish still life painting.
Soundtrack:
Joy Division 'Unknown Pleasures', 'Closer' & 'Substance'
Sol Seppy 'The Bells of 1 2'
No comments:
Post a Comment