Christopher Morris's "My America"

September 27, 2006 6:42 PM

"Then my photography started to shift; everything had to be very clean and Republican, straight and perfect... Everything is staged and controlled... It's the complete opposite of war photography."
War photographer Christopher Morris's new exhibit and book: "My America".
posted by matteo (19 comments total)

Morris in Iraq

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The Battlefields of Christopher Morris

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Thumbnails (war images, graphic)
posted by matteo at 6:45 PM on September 27, 2006

the VII photographers (Eugene Richards is a new member, not pictured in the link)
posted by matteo at 6:52 PM on September 27, 2006

I'll have to browse through all of this more later, but my first impression is that it's an updated version of Robert Frank's The Americans.

Which I mean as a compliment.
posted by ztdavis at 6:55 PM on September 27, 2006

Lots of shots cropped at the nose or chin; lots of people turned away from the camera. So it's mainly photographs of suits and uniforms and podiums - the "theatrics of power" as they say. I like it.
posted by stammer at 6:57 PM on September 27, 2006

I just saw Chris speak at the recent VII seminar at Parsons School of Design - great guy and funny as hell. Pretty darn good photographer too...
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:08 PM on September 27, 2006

Impressive. Thanks, matteo.
posted by mr_roboto at 7:11 PM on September 27, 2006

Lots to appreciate here.
posted by bardic at 7:48 PM on September 27, 2006

Thanks, matteo, off the top I like this one and this one.
posted by taosbat at 7:51 PM on September 27, 2006

is that FLOTUS cleavage? hot!

stammer: check out the article in the first link. the commentary on the plasticity/fakeness of the environment around the prez has a lot to do with the framing and subject matter.

good times, thanks matteo.
posted by carsonb at 7:56 PM on September 27, 2006

What group of people is that in the second image taosbat linked?
posted by luftmensch at 8:41 PM on September 27, 2006

Those are West Point cadets, luftmensch.
posted by taosbat at 9:18 PM on September 27, 2006

War photographers are a strange breed. They justify risking their lives in hope of changing the world - yet it seems his most controversial and arresting photo's are not of war, but of normal people.
posted by stbalbach at 9:22 PM on September 27, 2006

These are amazing. The secret service dudes in odd places look posed and so comical. The theatrics of power indeed.
posted by mathowie at 9:26 PM on September 27, 2006

I wanted to order the book right away, but it looks like it won't be released until the end of October.
posted by mathowie at 9:28 PM on September 27, 2006

Nice, thanks.
posted by beerbajay at 12:47 AM on September 28, 2006

My heart leapt when I saw this, as I thought it was going to be about Chris Morris. Now there's a guy you definitely don't want taking war photography. Although... No. No. Bad idea.

If you haven't illegally downloaded all the Blue Jam radio shows and listened to them until you puked -- you should. I liked this very wrong skit so much that I felt the need to transcribe it.
posted by neek at 3:20 AM on September 28, 2006

excellent photos, thank you.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:08 AM on September 28, 2006

That's as close as I ever want to get to GWB's crotch, thanks very much.
posted by DenOfSizer at 10:38 AM on September 28, 2006

From the first link:

"In one of Hasted's favorites, pieces of tape on the carpet mark positions for 'The President' and 'Mrs. Bush.' "

(Referencing this picture)

I saw this very type of staging when I worked a Presidential event a few months ago (self link).
posted by tomierna at 1:53 PM on September 28, 2006