Hiroshi Sugimoto An-My Lê

Contemporary Photography

rt21 provides a fantastic platform to showcase artist’s that focus on contempo-rary art that forces

us to look at a different perspec-tive. The artist’s come from all backgrounds and trades. There are photographers, architects, filmmakers, and many more. It also provides a great platform for a compare and contrast of artist’s.

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iroshi Sugimoto was born in Tokyo, Japan, shortly after world war two in 1948. He was attracted to art at a very early age. He was very inspired by the surrealism

and Dadaism. However, he was always intrigued by philosophy. This has led him to incorporating this into his artwork. Sugimoto is experienced in multiple different mediums. He does sculpting, painting, architecture, and photography. However, photography appears to be one of his more important focuses, as he uses it in nearly all of his forms in some aspect. Sugimoto uses his camera to capture images that communicate the essence of a subject. He focuses a lot of his attention to the craftsmanship of his prints. Sugimoto uses sver prints for the rich tones as he emphasizes on use of black, white, and gray tones. A central philosophy that Sugimoto implores is that photography is a time machine – a method of preserv-ing memories and time. His attention to

detail and use of philosophy allow for incredible work that has granted him many awards and fellowships.silver prints for the rich tones as he emphasizes on use of black, white, and gray tones. A central philosophy that Sugimoto implores is that photography is a time machine – a meth-od of preserving memories and time. His attention to detail and use of philosophy allow for incredible work that has granted him many awards and fellowships.

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n-My Lê was born in Sai-gon, Vietnam in 1960. At the age of fifteen she and her family fled Vietnam, the final year of the war, to the United States as political ref-

ugees. Lê studied biology at Stanford Uni-versity and received BAS and MS degrees. She then attended Yale University and re-ceived an MFA. Lê to a strong attraction towards photography and film. She uses these platforms to examine the impres-sion, effects, and representation of war. Lê has the incredible ability to draw tension by drawing contrast between the land-scapes and its fierce transformation into a battlefield. She has photographed and partaken in reenactments and military simulations with the U.S. Marines. This has allowed for a contemporary platform that lies somewhere between the formal tradition of documentaries and staged photography. She does also photograph other items but mostly all of her work implores some form of environmentalism

or humanistic. Lê’s style and platform has also allowed her to receive many awards and fellowships.contemporary platform that lies somewhere between the formal tradition of documentaries and staged photography. She does also photograph other items but mostly all of her work implores some form of environmentalism or humanistic. Lê’s style and platform has also allowed her to receive many awards and fellowships.

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hen comparing Sugimo-to and Lê, there are quite a few obvious relations. They both take a common medium, photography, and use it

in a contemporary way. However, in the same way they differ. Sugimoto primarily photographs inanimate objects with an in-teresting construct to them that implore a sense of time and history, such as clothing, architecture, and artifacts. Lê on the other hand photographs scenarios that also cap-ture a sense of time and history but with construct of war and politics. Another similarity they have is that they both focus on using black and white, only occa-sionally using color in their works. Their works definitely differ in who they appeal to. For instance, Sugimoto’s photos may appeal to an audience that is more geared towards liking fine art, simply based on the subjects that he tends to photograph. Lê’s work however, will likely appeal more to individuals who are interested in seeing the effects of war and other bad things that effect the environment, as she takes a more journalistic approach to her work. It is also quite apparent that both artist’s

focus on craftsmanship.work however, will likely appeal more to individuals who are interested in seeing the effects of war and other bad things that effect the environment, as she takes a more jour-nalistic approach to her work. It is also quite apparent that both artist’s focus on craftsmanship.

verall, Hiroshi Sugimoto and An-My Lê have incred-ible works of art that take a contemporary platform. It is inspiring to see the ways

they use their mediums in different con-structs and stepping outside the normal boundaries that almost everyone confides with in.

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