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'A gift that keeps on giving': the witty world of Lee Friedlander
The American photographer was ‘adept at turning any scrap of junk into a lavish puzzle’ as these beguiling images of chain link fences and roadside signs shows
TL;DR
- Lee Friedlander has photographed the American social landscape since the 1950s.
- The book 'Life Still' presents over 130 mostly unpublished images sequenced by Friedlander's knack for uncanny association.
- Friedlander is described as adept at turning any scrap of junk into a lavish puzzle.
- He began making more still lifes in the mid-1990s, inspired by flowers and physical limitations.
- Friedlander appreciates the lasting impact of encountering signs like 'Hope auto repair'.
- In the early 1990s, he started using a Hasselblad Superwide, emphasizing contrasts in his compositions.
- Friedlander is a prolific bookmaker, actively involved in the design and sequencing of his publications.
- Chain link fences are a recurring motif, symbolizing division and the perception of reality.
- His work reveals a deadpan style, careful framing, and an eye for offbeat sensibilities that make the specific feel universal.
- Friedlander was influenced by Walker Evans and Robert Frank, whom he met after moving to New York.