Re: Guest Post - Portraits of Auto Mechanics

1

Yeah, pretty good at first glance

1) Is that the mechanic's own facial hair?

2) He gets the Michelangelo a little wrong. Adam and Jehovah are almost on the same level, such that Adam is not looking up (much) at God. This was the Renaissance.


Posted by: bob mcmanus | Link to this comment | 10-25-15 9:43 AM
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I've seen this everywhere. I don't think he's mocking anybody; the guys are clearly in on the joke and participating rather than being told exactly what to do. And lovely photography.


Posted by: chris y | Link to this comment | 10-25-15 10:11 AM
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I don't think he's mocking anybody; the guys are clearly in on the joke and participating rather than being told exactly what to do. And lovely photography.

That was my reaction as well. The thing I like best about the photographs is the feeling of texture. It relates, slightly, to the appeal of the steampunk aesthetic -- there's something distinctive about solid metal tools* attractively photographed.

I'm not surprised to hear that it's being shared everywhere (though I only happened across it) -- it's good and also non-demanding. Kevin Drum was just wondering why one of his short snarky posts has gotten shared more than some of his long serious articles and I think the answer is simple -- people hesitate before forwarding something that's several pages long because they know that nobody wants to read that much, but it's easy to send along something that just takes 2 minutes to get.


* The fruit, it hangs so low.


Posted by: NickS | Link to this comment | 10-25-15 10:20 AM
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4

Rembrandt was as much of a Renaissance painter as my butt.


Posted by: Roberto Tigre | Link to this comment | 10-25-15 11:33 AM
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5

Who are three butts that have never been in my kitchen?


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 10-25-15 11:38 AM
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Am I the only who really doesn't like these at all?

I could try to justify, but it's a visceral distaste.

Also, his Last Supper isn't like the Leonardo painting at all.


Posted by: peep | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 6:36 AM
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7

I looked at the pictures on my phone, so I really couldn't tell.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 6:40 AM
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8

I just looked again. He got all nine apostles, so that seems fine.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 6:41 AM
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No, I'm with you peep. It feels like the human (and photographic) equivalent of the dogs playing poker thing.

And they're not really portraits of auto mechanics. They're parodies of famous paintings featuring mechanics. I'd be much more interested in actual portraits of mechanics informed by the style of old masters.


Posted by: Ginger Yellow | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 6:50 AM
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9.1: Thanks, Ginger! Glad to know I'm not the only one!

9.2: Are you thinking of Kehinde Wiley?
https://www.google.com/search?q=renaissance+portraits+african-americans+contemporary+artist&hl=en&biw=1347&bih=906&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIpt685qfgyAIVBOkmCh1K5wjX&dpr=0.95#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=kehinde+wiley


Posted by: peep | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 7:09 AM
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11

Nope.


Posted by: Ginger Yellow | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 7:31 AM
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12

Fist bumps and bro hugs re: idea that these photos kinda suck.


Posted by: Roberto Tigre | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 8:57 AM
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Peep, specifically, gets a chest bump and elaborate jive-style choreographed skin-slapping.


Posted by: Roberto Tigre | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 9:04 AM
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Agree with 9.2, but 10.2 is horrendous.


Posted by: ajay | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 9:13 AM
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6,9 Concur. Salgado takes photographs of working people, Lewis Hine took photographs of working people, this schmuck takes meticulously lit and composed photo-pastiches, pointless imitations, that happen to have mechanics but in them. Technically adept, but that's all, the Lil Wayne of proletarian photography.

Jan Banning's recent photographs of bureaucrats were pretty interesting.


Posted by: lw | Link to this comment | 10-26-15 9:24 AM
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