unofficial blog for course ART007

Lehigh University
Art Architecture and Design
113 Research Drive
Building C
Bethlehem, PA 18015

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Blog Post #12

Jeff Wall (b. Vancouver 1946) Tattoos and Shadows 2000 Transparency in lightbox 195.5 x 255cm

Jeff Wall has an extremely interesting and unique approach to photography. He describes his process as just observing. Wall will go out and look for things to shoot, remember all the details, the location, how it made him feel, but he will not take the picture. Instead, he takes his memories and recreates them with actors specifically cast to fulfill his memories of the instance.

In his photo, Tattoos and Shadows, Jeff Wall describes that he saw a group of three tattooed individuals sitting under some trees across the street from his home. He found this group of individuals particularly interesting and took note of the scene so that he could later recreate the scene. He notes that he loved the layering of patterns. The combination of tattooed skin with the speckles of light poking through the trees and hitting the tattoos enthralled him. He also speaks of how tattoos fascinate him due to how permanent they are on the body.

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