debbie millman

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Alison

Alison

Few artists have the access (let alone the perseverance) to follow the same subject for decades. So when the artist’s muse is his own child, it presents a unique opportunity. Case in point: photographer Jack Radcliffe's haunting portfolio documenting the life of his daughter from infancy to adulthood, titled simply Alison.

A stunning series in black and white, the photos walk a fine line between exquisite and intrusive, caring and unsettling, as Alison grows from thoughtful child to striking punk teenager to obviously troubled adult. “I wanted to photograph her in all her extremes,” Radcliffe writes in his introduction, “and to be part of these times in her life without judging or censoring.”

In her book "On Photography," Susan Sontag called photographs “an ethics of seeing.” It’s difficult to look at this work and not wonder what would have happened, to both his art and to Alison, if Radcliffe had censored or judged — or chosen a different subject altogether.

Via the always wonderful Very Short List.

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

this is fascinating!

- amanda woodward

6/04/2008 12:13:00 PM  
Blogger Tania Rochelle said...

This series made me cry.

6/05/2008 09:00:00 AM  
Blogger debbie millman said...

me too...

6/05/2008 09:04:00 AM  
Blogger Beach Local said...

This was both wonderful and haunting. Wow.

-Steve

6/05/2008 02:06:00 PM  
Blogger Claudio Gil said...

Fantastic!
In fact, your blog is fantastic.
Nice to meet.
Congratulations.
Kind regards.

6/05/2008 02:27:00 PM  
Blogger TheMediaDude said...

I loved this series. Having a daughter myself, I related to the feeling of unconditional love in each picture. You get the sense that this man is infatuated with his daughter without trying to change or control her. It was only after I saw all the images that I realized Allison is my age. Put a whole new spin on it.

6/13/2008 09:55:00 AM  

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