Polluted sunset C.2011
One December evening, I was walking past the Disney concert hall in Downtown Los Angeles when I had the sudden urge to stop and capture the sunset through a torn fence. When I got home and reviewed what I had shot, I realized this particular frame reminded me of a photograph I'd seen before. The tear in the fence made me think of an old photo Lee Miller took during her time in Egypt in the 1930s. A female photographer in Egypt in the 1930s. Can you imagine how amazing that must've been??
Lee Miller is one of my all time photographic heroes and an amazing inspiration (pardon my *feminist* gushing). I came to know of her during my fascination with Man Ray in my late teens. She worked with Man Ray (in several definitions) and was his model for several of his works. Her photographs weren't looked at in depth during any of my art or photography classes in college, which is a real shame. Her talent, work, growth, and fearless approach to her photography, especially during her time as a WWII photojournalist, make her one of the most amazing artists in my book. Of course, every creative mind strives to invent their own interpretations of ideas that may have been done before. But if you've been directly influenced, it's important to give credit where it's due. As my old history professors would always say~Always site your source.
Portrait of Space C.1937 Lee Miller
Dang, girl. You changed my life...
