About the Book
I'm not exactly sure what got me started photographing chairs, but over the years they've become a common subject for my camera. So much so in fact that many people know me as "that guy that shoots chairs." The style and composition of my chair photos are similar to that of other inanimate subjects I photograph, yet chair photos often evoke a much stronger and often emotional reaction from viewers.
This stronger reaction could be attributed to chairs being a uniquely human object in design and therefore more easily personified than other subjects. This leads to chairs grouped together being seen as interacting socially. A chair left alone against a wall is often described as being lonely. For me what often catches my attention is that the chair in my viewfinder is probably where it was left by it's last occupant. This creates a mystery as to who was sitting there and what were they doing--reading, thinking, smoking, or just waiting. In that sense the photo can be seen as a portrait without the person or perhaps even a stage minus the actors. In this way of seeing, what is not present in the photo is just as important as what was left for the camera to find.
This stronger reaction could be attributed to chairs being a uniquely human object in design and therefore more easily personified than other subjects. This leads to chairs grouped together being seen as interacting socially. A chair left alone against a wall is often described as being lonely. For me what often catches my attention is that the chair in my viewfinder is probably where it was left by it's last occupant. This creates a mystery as to who was sitting there and what were they doing--reading, thinking, smoking, or just waiting. In that sense the photo can be seen as a portrait without the person or perhaps even a stage minus the actors. In this way of seeing, what is not present in the photo is just as important as what was left for the camera to find.
Features & Details
- Primary Category: Fine Art Photography
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Project Option: Standard Landscape, 10×8 in, 25×20 cm
# of Pages: 40 - Publish Date: Aug 02, 2008
- Keywords found art, chair, chairs, furniture, design, minimal, minimalism, zen, objects, mundane, everyday, photography, art
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About the Creator
Stephen Gray
Austin, TX, USA
"The world through a rectangle" is the simplest way to describe the photography of Stephen M. Gray. His works are part photographic art and part Zen practice. His objective, often minimalist compositions bring new light to life's mundane moments and details through the focus and context of the photographic rectangle. Though he has spent most of his adult life in such technical pursuits as software and Internet development, picking up the camera has reacquainted Stephen with his childhood goal to be an artist. Stephen lives and works in Austin, Texas with his wife Amanda. In addition to his fine art photography, Stephen also engages in event, portrait and stock photography.