Field Of Vision: March 2012

Thursday, 22 March 2012

Fabrice Fouillet

Striking, austere and minimal, the ecclesiastical architecture of modern churches and cathedrals built in the 20th Century is the subject of French photographer Fabrice Fouillet's latest series, entitled 'Corpus Christi'. Rewarding viewing at as large a size as possible (click on the thumbnails) Fouillet's images serenely capture the variations and permutations of these places of worship to striking effect. By applying the same rigorous camera set-up in each location, with the altar at the bottom of the frame and the vaulting or arching ceilings reaching toward the heavens taking up most of the frame, Fouillet shows different architects' attempts to represent - or maybe reach - the divine through architecture. Many of these churches caused an outcry when they were first built, such was their deviation from traditional notions of religious architecture, upsetting the more conservative members of the clergy; its fascinating to see these buildings, scattered around the globe, recorded like this. Other photographers have realised similar projects on more ornate or traditional church interiors, notably Ichiro Ono with his amazing 'Mexico Baroque' series, and more recently Cyril Porchet's 'Seduction' series. Fouillet's project is a great counterpoint to these, capturing a fascinating hymn to religious minimalism.

St Engelbert, Köln, Germany, completed 1931.

Architect: Dominicus Böhm

Notre Dame du Chene, Viroflay, France, completed 1966

Architect: Frères Sainsaulieu

Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz, Berlin, Germany, completed 1933

Architect: Fritz Hoger

St Thérèse, Metz, France, completed 1959

Architect: André Remondet

St Antonius, Basel, Switzerland, completed 1927

Architect: Karl Moser

St Mary of the Assumption, San Francisco, USA, completed 1971

Architect: Pietro Belluschi

Santo Volto, Turin, Italy, completed 2006

Architect: Mario Botta

Notred Dame de Royan, Royan, France, completed 1958

Architect: Guillame Gillet

St Remy, Baccarat, France, completed 1957

Architect: Nicolas Kasiz

St Joseph, Le Havre, France, completed 1956

Architect: Auguste Perret

Maria Königin, Saarbrucken, Germany, completed 1959

Architect: Rudolf Schwarz

St Ludwig, Saarelouis, Germany, completed 1970

Architect: Gottfried Böhn

Christie Auferstehung, Koln, Germany, completed 1970

Architect: Gottfried Böhn

St Paulus, Saarbrucken, Germany, completed 1961

Architect: Fritz Thoma

All images © Fabrice Fouillet

Friday, 2 March 2012

Jerry McMillan

Jerry McMillan was a key figure in documenting the fertile Los Angeles art scene in the late 1960s and early 70s. Originally hailing from Oklahoma, he moved to L.A. in the late 50s and starting taking photos whilst studying at Chouinard Art Institute. Much of the work being produced on the West Coast by the then-unknown loose collective of artists went on to become canonical in the history of Modern Art, and McMillan had a knack for getting great, often irreverent portraits of the main players. Photographing the likes of Joe Goode, Larry Bell, Judy Chicago and the Eds - Kienholz, Bereal and Ruscha (in fact Ruscha, a long-time friend, was something of a muse) both at work and at play, you can see the subjects trusted McMillan, and the easiness and intimacy in his work is a great behind-the-scenes counterpoint to the artwork itself.

One of his most infamous photos was for the War Babies exhibition at the Huysman Gallery in 1961. Showing a portrait of the ethnically diverse artists taking part in the show eating stereotypical food (Ed Bereal, African-American: watermelon; Larry Bell, Jewish: a bagel; Joe Goode, Irish: mackerel; Ron Miyashiro, Asian, eating with chopsticks) off an American-flag tablecloth, the image outraged conservative critics, and in fact the gallery closed shortly after the exhibition ended.

McMillan has also created more conceptual, complex works which can be seen here and deserve a look. But for now its his documentation of those West Coast mavericks we're relishing.