Jeff Wall at MoMA

[David Louis]

I just got back from Jeff Wall's show at MoMA. Its great. It opens tomorrow and is definitely worth a look if you're in New York anytime between now and the middle of May.

Times review;
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/ar...pagewanted=all

enjoy!

[Dave_B]

All:
I'll second David's comment. We saw the exhibit today at MoMA and it was wonderful. Wall's technical mastery of the medium of LF photography is superb but it is his vision that takes your breath away. He had one image of a man in a basement apartment that is simply amazing. The permanent photography exhibit there is also very good. I highly recommend the exhibit to anyone in NYC.
Cheers,
Dave B.

[Ash]

I saw Jeff Wall's exhibition in the Tate in London a year or two ago.

Nothing special.


Sorry I just don't find anything significant in his work. Occasionally nice to look at, but nothing spectacular.

[E_Aiken]

Most of his work leaves me a little wanting. There are a few spectacular images, but the regular collection of photography at MoMA IMO blows away this particular exhibit. I actually found the illuminated displays to be distracting; the images in the show that I like I prefer to see in print.

[PViapiano]

There's also a review in a recent issue of The New Yorker...

[Deniz Merdanogullari]

I sat right next to Jeff Wall a few months back during a Stephen Shore Lecture.
I turned and said " You Jeff Wall?"
he said "Yes."

One of my teachers worked with him during the shoot of the office papers flying at a field. the whole shoot took months!
Also one of the guys that was in Vampire's Picnic is a friend of mine at school.

But as many agrees, i do not care for his work. He makes Andy warhol proud!!

[JW Dewdney]

ignore this post.

[JW Dewdney]

That's funny. I worked on that shoot. (used to work for him) - who's your teacher, dare I ask...??

He used to (not sure what his current schedule is) up to a YEAR working on a single photo sometimes... kind of inspiring... in a sick way, maybe.

I think a lot of people can't really connect with the work. It comes more out of an 'artworld' dialectic it would seem...

[Ash]

I remember looking at images such as the flying papers and thinking "well... hmm..."

Ironically I missed a perfect photograph of a security guard falling asleep in the corner between two of his works. Would have perfectly summed up my feelings.

As soon as I read about how much work went behind some of the images, then looked again at the work (I walked around the exhibition at least 3 times), I had a little more appreciation.

The light-bulbs image was great no matter what, but things like the coral reef grave plot (I think that's right, it's been a while since I saw the work) didn't appeal to me.

[Dave_B]

The images at MoMA in the Wall exhibit that most impressed me where the basement picture with the light bulbs, a photo of a child's birthday party, the photo of Native Americans by an overpass and one called "dead soldiers talking". The basement photo drew me in and was something I could stare at for a long time. The details in the picture kept you thinking about the image and asking questions to yourself about each of the items in it. The child's party was creepy in a wonderful sort of way-the kids looked like something from another world. The color of the balloons really stood out and grabbed you. The soldier image was almost pornographic in the violence it presented. The overpass image reminded me of an image in the Museum d'Orsay, Manet's "The Luncheon on the Grass". Technically Wall's photography was excellent. The colors, light, composition, etc. were all first rate in my opinion. However, what was most interesting to me was how he composed each photo with an obsessive attention to the details. I found them wonderful and can understand how he would only make a couple a year.

The use of oversized light boxes as a way to exhibit the photos was something I also liked. One of the things I really enjoy doing is looking at transparencies on a light box and the way it makes the colors pop. These images also popped in that same way. It did not work very well for the B&W images. IMHO, the color ones were the best.

The permanent collection at MoMA has some wonderful, iconic images. However it also had some that left me shaking my head. The out of focus mouths lost me. The picture of the Toys R Us and the photo of the pole dancer also left me wondering why the curators would make them a part of the permanent collection. Clearly my tastes and theirs are not completely aligned.

Bottom line, between the Wall exhibit and the permanent collection there is a lot to see and like at MoMA. If you are in town, I recommend a visit.
Cheers,
Dave B.