Artist Research and Analysis (Identity Project)

Ther ewasl i t t l et ononei nf or mat i onaboutMar k’ sper sonali nf or mat i onmostl i kel ydue t ot hef actt hathei sanewphot ogr apheri nt hei ndust r yhowever ,Imanagedt of i nd outt hathei sf r om Tor ont o,Ont ar i obasedi nNewYor kCi t y .Fur t her mor e,l ooki ngi nt o hi spor t f ol i o,Mar kl i kest ophot ogr aphi ncol ourmai nl ybutdoessomet i mesusebl ack andwhi t ewhi l eusi ngapr ocessor i ent at edmet hodofdevel opi ngphot ogr aphs;whi ch meanshei sknownf orusi ngf i l mr at hert handi gi t alcamer as.

Thei magesar epar tofaphot oshoott akenbyMar kPeckmezi an,notonl yf orhi sown por t f ol i o,butf oranot abl emagazi ne,FADER.Mar kwasemai l ed‘ outoft hebl ue’ i n Sept ember ,2014byTyl ert heCr eat orashewasaf anofMar k’ swor kandwant eda phot oshootasFADERwasdoi ngast or yabouthi m.

Onanonl i near t i cl eIr ead,Mar kbel i evesTyl erment i onedhi snamet oGeor di e,t he phot odi r ect orf orFADERandsays:

ARTI ST

RESEARCH

‘ SoIwassor tof ,i naway ,pi ckedbyTyl ert oshooti t . ’ I t ’ sr eal l yni cet oseet he subj ectl i ket hewor koft hephot ogr apherbecause‘ t her e’ st r ust ,andt heyar emor e wi l l i ngt omeetyouhal f way’ .

Usi ngwhatl ooksl i keaHassel bl ad500Ser i escamer awi t hSynchr oCompurl eaf l ensshut t er ,Peckmezi ancapt ur edTyl ert heCr eat or ’ spor t r ai t swi t ht hegoof y ,chi l di sh expr essi onsweal lknowandl oveTyl erf or ;i tr eal l ycapt ur esTyl er ’ st r ueper sonal i t y andnotj ustast andar dst agedphot oshootever yot herphot ogr apherf or cest he subj ectt odo.Thi si showIwantt ocar r ymyshoot si nt hef ut ur ewhent aki ng por t r ai t s.

Has s el bl ad500Ser i esCamer a

Mar kPec k mez i an,t heNewYor kCi t ybas edphot ogr apher ,t ookt hi s i magei naphot os hootf ort hemagaz i neFADERast hei nf amousr apper , pr oduc eranddes i gnerTy l er ,t heCr eat orwasbei ngdi s pl ay edast hei r c ov ers t or y ,i nt hei rl at es tar t i c l eatt het i me( 2014) .I nmyey es ,t hi si sa t y pi c al f as hi onpor t r ai tofanot abl ec el ebr i t yt hati nc l udesauni que ex pr es s i ont os t andoutf ort hef r ontc ov eroft hemagaz i ne.I nanar t i c l eI r ead,whenMar kbegant ot ak ephot osandTy l erwasi nf r ontoft he c amer af ort hes t udi opor t r ai t , ‘ hewasmak i ngdi f f er entf ac esandput t i ngondi f f er entper s onas ,butI t hi nkt hat ’ sbec aus ehek nowswhatt hec ov erphot oneeded.He’ s medi as av v yenought ok now. ’ Thi sbas i c al l ys howst hatTy l erwast heonei nc ont r ol oft hes hoot , mak i ngpos esofwhathet houghtwasbes tf ort hes hootwhi l eMar kwas t heonej us tt ak i ngt hephot ogr aphs ,nowTHATi ss omet hi ngy ouwoul d notex pec ti napr of es s i onal s t udi os hoot .

Iac t ual l yl aughedal i t t l ebi ti ns i debec aus eofhowc omi c al t hi si magei s andbec aus eIk nowhowf unnyTy l er ,t heCr eat ori s .Hi spos ei st ol ook i nnoc entbutIc an’ tt ak ehi ms er i ous l ybec aus eofhi sr eput at i onasan ent er t ai ner .Howev er ,Ipar t i c ul ar l yl i k et hef ac tt hathe( Ty l er )i swear i ng c ol our f ul c l ot hesIf r ontofan…

…or angebac k gr oundwhi c hi snott het r adi t i onal wayofpor t r ay i ngs ubj ec t s i nf as hi onphot ogr aphy .Ir eal l yl i k et hes t y l eoft hi sphot obec aus ei t ’ ss o c ol our f ul andi tr eal l ys t anddsout ,gr abbi ngt hev i ewer ’ sat t ent i onwi t ht he v i v i dc ol our sbutal s ot hef unny ,upc l os epos e.Il i k ehowPec k mez i an c r oppedt hephot ot of oc usonj us tt hef ac ewhi l eal s oi nc l udi ngs omeoft he handst oadddept hoft hephot o.

I ’ mr eal l yi mpr es s edofhowgoodt hi si magel ook si nt er msofqual i t y , es pec i al l ywhenMar khasus edaf ai r l yol df as hi onedc amer a,Has s el bl ad 500Ser i esCamer a.Thephot ogr aphermayhav eedi t edt hei magei n s of t war eaf t ert r ans f er r i ngi tont ot hec omput ert or eal l yc r eat eagood c ont r as tbet weenl i ghtanddar k nes si nor dert odi s pl ayt hef i nedet ai l sof Ty l er ’ sf ac eandt os howhi sr awemot i on,t hatmak est hephot ogr aphs o s pec i al ,t omeany way .

Thi si magedoeshav ei mpor t ants oc i al andc ul t ur al i mpor t anc ebec aus ei t wast ak ent ous easac ov erphot oonawel l k nownmagaz i nei nt hemus i c andc ul t ur ei ndus t r y .I ts howsTy l er ’ sc r eat i v enes si nhi sf as hi ondes i gnand t eac hest hei mpor t anc eofbei ngy our s el fands t andi ngoutf r om t hec r owd; t hi si ss omet hi ngTy l eri sv er yk nownf orandwhatmak eshi m popul ar .So bas i c al l y ,hei st r y i ngt os hi f tt hec ul t ur eofhowpeopl edr es sandt hi nkabout t hems el v esi nt er msoff as hi on.

Thi sphot os hootwast ak eni nat y pi c al s t udi owher ey ouwoul dex pec t por t r ai t -

ur ephot ogr aphyt ot ak epl ac e.I nt er msoft hebac k gr ound,i ti sc l eart hat Pec k mez i anhass etupabl ank ,paperbac k gr oundhowev erI ’ m nots ur ei fi t wasal r eadyor angeorwhet herheedi t edi tandt r i eddi f f er entc ol our s .Thi s i ss omet hi ngIwi l l at t emptt odoi nt er msoft r y i ngar angeofc ol our st o dec i dewhi c hi smor eef f ec t i v ef ort hei mage.Asf arashowi twast ak en,I k nowt hatMar kus edaHas s el bl ad500Ser i esCamer as i nc eIr eadan ar t i c l eaboutt hephot os hootont hei nt er net .

Thi spur pos eoft hi si mage,ass t at edbef or e,i sf oraf r ontc ov eri na magaz i neasFADERdi das t or yaboutt hephot o’ ss ubj ec t ,Ty l ert he Cr eat or .Idon’ tbel i ev ei thasanymeani ngt oi tbec aus ei t ’ spur pos ei st o r epr es entt hes ubj ec tandhi sper s onal i t y .

Thi si magehasi nf l uenc edmei nawayt ot hi nkofhowdi f f er entpos es , c ol ourofbac k gr oundandt hec ompos i t i onc andet er mi net her eac t i onoft he v i ewerandhowi tdi s pl ay st heemot i onandat mos pher eoft hephot o.Thes e ar easIwi l l t ak ei nt oc ons i der at i onwhent ak i ngmyphot os hoot ( s )ast hey ar ev er yef f ec t i v ei nmak i ngadi f f er enc ebet weenagoodphot ot oagr eat phot o.I tr el at est oI dent i t ybec aus ei tr epr es ent st heper s onal i t yand emot i onoft hes ubj ec tandhowal l peopl ear edi f f er entwi t ht hei rhumour , wayoft hi nk i ngandt hei rf as hi onasdi s c us s edi nt hepr ev i ouss l i de.Thi si s s omet hi ngIam v er yi nt er es t edi nandwantt ot ak ef ur t herf ormypr oj ec t .