Kevin Cooley Photography...
Thanks to Jill over at Gallery10G, I've recently been looking at the photographic work of emerging artist Kevin Cooley, and I have to admit... these are very seductive images. They even look more impressive in person. Check them out.. What do you think??
At first glance you might even think these are photo-realist paintings, but in fact they are rich/lush time-elapse photographs. Pretty impressive... (Photo #1, Newark 2) Kevin's got an opening tonight at Massimo Audiello Gallery,the show is called.. Night Shift. He's also got his own website..where you can see more of his magical work.
His work reminds me a bit of Gregory Crewdson.. It has most of the drama, but without the contrived staging, media hype,
crazy high prices, or the freakin elitist attitude. (Photo #2, Longyearbyen, Svalbard)
Kevin's show at the Massimo Audiello gallery, runs through February 17th...Its one not to be missed.. and more of Kevin's work can be seen at Jill's 10G gallery.
I've seen twilight-esque work like Cooley's a million times - from Todd Hido to, yes, Crewdson. But to compare them the way you did (obviously upset that you don't own a Crewdson?) is ridiculous. It's like comparing Van Gogh with Thomas Kinkade since they both painted landscape scenes. It's nice work, but hardly "art." Crewdson is conceptual, highly psychologically-charged, and meticulously planned and produced. If you don't like it, fine, but it's much more than just evening time-lapse shots that belong more in the pages of Popular Photography magazine than in an art gallery.
Posted by: anonymous | January 11, 2007 at 06:17 PM
what can we really tell about an artist's work from two small images and a quick visceral passionate response...my advice to anonymous is to do what I am planning to and that is visit Gallery 10G.Sometimes even with Crewdson we have to be in the presence of the image itself,somtimes it is the moment of pesonal discovery.One of the first Crewdson I fell in love with was not part of the approve canon it was just a photograph hanging in someone dining room samos .I had to ask who made it.
Posted by: John A | January 11, 2007 at 10:34 PM
Sometimes MAO's bitchiness -- "Contrived," "freakin elitist" -- grows tiresome. I did, in fact, pore over Cooley's website and the gallery's, but, as I said, it's nice work, but pretty basic stuff. The terrain he explores has been done to death...and better. I won't write his career off. It's a good starting point, just not "magical."
Posted by: anonymous | January 11, 2007 at 11:27 PM
Anonymous thank you for listening/reading and your reply...one of the things I truely believe is that most artists need time and one of the things that the contemporary market place does not seem to offer is time...that time is now coming from dedicated collectors who can see a spark of something maybe it is not magic but it is there.I advise my student that it is easy to give 10,000 dollars to someone you are told is worth 10000 at the moment and the machine tends to be in place but we must support artists who are trying sombody has to help pay for materials and life until the magic happense ...sorry to many words
Posted by: John A | January 11, 2007 at 11:54 PM
Thanks John and Anonymous for the comments..
I strongly suggest you go see the Cooley work in person.. you may see some of the "magic"
I found it fresh and exciting.. but obviously it won't appeal to everyone.
My objective was to point out some interesting new undiscovered work that most people can afford and provoke discussion.
As for Credwson.. never bitter here.. I wish him all the best.. just poking fun at his astonishing success and suggesting it's not all that impressive given his "importance".. I've always found it very forced, and way too Hollywood for my taste.
Bitchiness?? Please, girlfriend!! Why else would someone read this damn blog!! Everyone's got to have a gimmick! So..Lighten up Anonymous!!
Posted by: Mike @ MAO | January 12, 2007 at 09:36 AM
Thanks for pointing this work out MAO..
These photos look very beautiful.. I love his sense of color and light. Plus it sounds like this photographer is off to a great start.
Kevin Cooley, clearly is one to watch.
Posted by: Kelly | January 12, 2007 at 01:00 PM
it's all about the all white #10? at the very bottom of this page.
http://www.gallery10g.com/artists.php?rec_id=37
Posted by: a-ron | January 12, 2007 at 02:53 PM
no, #14!!!
(this comment area doesn't have an edit section for idiots like me!)
Posted by: a-ron, again | January 12, 2007 at 02:55 PM
I actually went to the opening last night. Last time I take blind advice from this website again =;>) I like your passion, though...
Posted by: Kenny T | January 12, 2007 at 05:30 PM
I saw the Cooley show today and it is worth seeing. There is also something about some of the photographs that very much reminds me of Crewdson. Two works in particular stood out in relation to their similarity with Crewdson, especially in terms of the appearance of stage-like lighting. That being said, I also think that like Crewdson and others—Muniz and Demand, for instance—there seems to be a trend developing in contemporary photography about capturing a moment--an ephemeral moment--and getting it on film. Granted, photography has always been about the moment, but many of these photographers seem interested in making us, the viewer, understand the fleeting nature of these moments. This is what I like so much about Crewdson, Muniz, Demand, and, more recently, as-per Mao’s excellent suggestion, Sarah Pickering. They create a stage and/or represent a staged set, and we know that we are witnessing a flicker of time that will pass. I particularly like the way that Muniz and Demand intentionally demolish the staged-sets they create--wiping away the junk and destroying the paper vignettes. Cooley is doing something similar here because we know that the trail of jets, the signature of car lights, the transcendent sky will soon vanish into something else.
Posted by: David B. | January 12, 2007 at 06:40 PM
glad i went to the cooley website, there's some true work there... it's a pleasure to look at the images. esp liking the loners and dwellers... tho the comfort/cold doesn't engage me.
i wish i could see the exhibition.
Posted by: A.J. | January 16, 2007 at 08:35 AM
Interesting comments by all. And the comparison of Cooley's work to Crewdson seems to be a common theme, however, Cooley considers his work as anti-Crewdson. As you all know, Crewdson sets up his works on a sound stage and his photographs are contrived and every aspect planned out to a T. Whereas Cooley on the otherhand takes time elapsed photographs and does not digitally manipulate or edit his work. All the colors you see are from natural light either from a sunset or a lamp post on a street corner. No sound stages, no contrived settings- just nature at it's best!
Posted by: Jill | January 18, 2007 at 03:20 PM