Philip-Lorca diCorcia

         Philip-Lorca diCorcia is an American photographer who become popular in the 1980s. From what I found online and noticed from his work, diCorcia's work centers around individuals, whether it be, family, friends, strangers, or even prostitutes and pole dancers. diCorcia's work almost resembles portraits with people being the main subject and usually centered in the photograph, but through his use of posing and location, I feel as though his photographs go beyond just the individual. Looking through some of his work, I found one series of photographs constantly on display, where diCorcia would ask random strangers to take photos of them in exchange for a certain amount of money. In this series, every photograph is captioned with the subject's name, age, location, and price paid. 

Eddie Anderson; 21 Years Old; Houston, Texas; $20. 1990-92

        The first photograph that caught my eye was of Eddie Anderson. At first my focus is immediately drawn to Eddie, as him being shirtless sort of brightens his figure. The sun hitting him from that angle looks to be staged, as if trying to highlight him and provide this golden hue. Secondly, I find myself looking then at the burger in the red basket and the silver machine to the left. The window from what seems to be a restaurant sort of frames Eddie and provides a look as if Eddie is window shopping in at the food. Bringing out the colors, I think that the bright red basket stands out in the front, followed by Eddie, and then by the light blues seen in the sky. Sort of building a story in my own head, I almost always see Eddie as homeless in a way, looking into a restaurant hoping for the chance to have a meal. Even then, maybe him having his shirt off and the warm sun hitting his body is meant to portray a hot summer night, where Eddie is window shopping for some AC!

Fred. 1986 

        Another photo that caught my eye of was Fred, taken by diCorcia. Outside of the man, which I will touch on shortly, I found it super interesting to see the contrast between red and white/gray in the background. I think its super cool that these cars helped match that background, which in a way adds to the man in front. As for Fred, still being a portrait and definitely a desired pose, placing an older man on the ground, his papers blowing away, and his hand tapping to find his glasses is something we see in the movies, yet also in our own lives. From looking at it, I see the red and white as sort of a evil vs. good being played out behind him. I think in a way the artist is asking us what would we really do, I think everyone immediately goes, "yeah I'll run over to help out," but in looking deeper I think some of these same people would also hesitate if theres a lot of people around, or if they are more worried about themselves. Technically, I think using a longer exposure to get this movement in his hand, builds the photograph into more than just a portrait, but into a constant question of are we going to help those in need. 

Brent Booth; 21 years old; Des Moines, Iowa; $30. 1990-92

        Including another photograph to touch on one more idea; I think offering these "models" who are often complete strangers money for their time to be photographed is quite interesting. And even then, including the amount in the title makes me question how that process goes down. To explain, does diCorcia ask them how much for their picture, does he offer a certain amount, or is there negotiating involved? I think including this amount in the title provides information about the person in a way, like how much that person may need to get a meal, or the idea that this specific amount of money can help an individual out. Specifically in this photo, I love the color contrasts, the bright pepsi carton, green car, and the dark blue sky. In addition, the street lights providing a beam of light combined with what looks like an evening sky allows me to almost feel the weather as if I'm there. I feel the warmth of a summer day, yet the cool crisp breeze the night brings in.