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.


The infamous War Babies poster featuring, l-r, Ed Bereal, Larry Bell, Joe Goode, Ron Miyashiro


Ed Ruscha and Walter Hopps, 1962


Ed Ruscha unfolding 'Every Building On The Sunset Strip', 1967


Ed Ruscha, 1968


24 Young L.A. Artists, 1971


Ron Miyashiro in his studio, 1961


Ed Ruscha Says Goodbye To College Joys, 1967


Larry Bell, 1967


Robert Graham looking at his work in an exhibition, 1968


Judy Chicago, 1970


Ron Davis, 1968


Ed Kienholz, 1968


Larry Bell, 1968



Judy Chicago, 1970



All images © Jerry McMillan, courtesy of Craig Krull Gallery