Michael Kenna
Date of Artist's Life: Born 1953-present
Personal Background
Michael Kenna is an English photographer best known for his black and white unusual landscapes, with ethereal light achieved by photography at dawn or at night. He is a british man that was born in Widnes, United Kingdom. He was very well educated and attended several wonderful colleges including Uphold College in Lancashire, the Banbury School of Art in Oxfordshire, and the London College of Printing. In the 1980s, he moved to San Francisco to work as Ruth Bernhard's printer because he wanted to learn from her. He is often referred to as "Guru" of black and white photography. Michael Kenna's artistic creations are exhibited in some of the most well respected art galleries and museums around the world including the U.S., Asia, Australia, and across Europe.
Style
Kenna's photography focuses on unusual landscapes with ethereal light achieved by photography at dawn or at night with exposures of up to 10 hours. Since 1986, he has mainly used Hasselblad medium format and Holga cameras and this accounts for the square format of most of his photographs. His style is often considered to be "graceful and hauntingly beautiful" and attributed to his love of Japanese landscape he developed during his first visit to Japan. His style is also very simple and clear in nature and he likes to capture pictures from extended exposures to seize the feelings that might not be captured from a single shot. As a child, Kenna liked to live through his imagination, and it is evident in the style of his work that speaks deep within the soul.
Philosophy
Kenna is an anachronistic contemporary to the Pictorialists, which means a type of photography technique which often misplaces in time or expression an idea of style. His photography places an emotional hold over is viewer through atmospheric effects of photography at night, or in crepuscular light or mist, fog, and snow. He doesn't necessarily seek to present an accurate copy of the world, but to extract something original and emotional from it. He prefers to let the viewer interpret his art in any way they feel compelled. He is an individualistic, prefers to work alone, and exhibits a zen-like or meditative feeling to his peaceful, yet deep photos.
Influences
Kenna's way of taking pictures is much different than other photographers, and he creates a new and exciting environment when it comes to evoking peace in his pictures. His work ethic is an example to me of how consistent practice, good mentors, and a strong passion for doing what he loves can lead to such success. Kenna's photography is inspiring to me to look at photography in a unique way by creating different settings. Also, his pictures create a variety of emotion for me and I want to be able to create happiness, sadness, and empathy through my work like he has achieved so well. His work has shown me how the simplicity of landscape, especially in black and white, can create so much beauty and evoke so much thought. His ability to be able to capture the interest of so many people clearly shows how valued and unique his identity is.
Sources
Kenna's Photography |
My Photography |
Compare and Contrast
The Willows:
The angle from which both trees were taken at is directly in front of the viewer. As you can see, the picture I took is in a multi-light sky, graduating from lighter to darker. Kenna's photo reflects a much lighter sky, one that shows a lighter feeling, versus a darker atmosphere. Kenna's photo is more simple in nature reflecting less lines, while my photo is more full and busy feeling. Kenna's concentration point is more intricate and simplistic than my photo, reflecting a different choice in photography technique. Both photos are desaturated and exhibit a peaceful feeling immediately upon viewing.
The Woods:
The way that the pictures are taken are from an upward angle which makes both sets of trees seem dominant and tall. Sunlight in both photos shine in the background and down on the trees in the woods. You can see a clear view of the leading lines in both photographs, and the concentration of both photos is clear as well. Both photos evoke a feeling of emptiness and depression as it makes the viewer think they are insignificant and alone. In Kenna's photo, the sunlight is more indirect and appears misty or foggy as opposed to the clearer light in my photo. The air feels more contaminated or congested in the Kenna photo versus clean and fresh in my photo.
The Skyline:
Both the Kenna and my photo evoke a feeling of balance and symmetry: a beautiful skyline. The subject of picture is similar in both photos, representing a lively shoreline and bustling city. Kenna's photo has a lighter backdrop which makes it feel more busy as opposed to my photo with a darker skyline which feels more peaceful. The clarify of the skyline if stronger in my picture versus more foggy in Michael Kenna's photo. Overall you can appreciate the beauty of both photographs and have them relate to you spiritually and emotionally in some way.
The angle from which both trees were taken at is directly in front of the viewer. As you can see, the picture I took is in a multi-light sky, graduating from lighter to darker. Kenna's photo reflects a much lighter sky, one that shows a lighter feeling, versus a darker atmosphere. Kenna's photo is more simple in nature reflecting less lines, while my photo is more full and busy feeling. Kenna's concentration point is more intricate and simplistic than my photo, reflecting a different choice in photography technique. Both photos are desaturated and exhibit a peaceful feeling immediately upon viewing.
The Woods:
The way that the pictures are taken are from an upward angle which makes both sets of trees seem dominant and tall. Sunlight in both photos shine in the background and down on the trees in the woods. You can see a clear view of the leading lines in both photographs, and the concentration of both photos is clear as well. Both photos evoke a feeling of emptiness and depression as it makes the viewer think they are insignificant and alone. In Kenna's photo, the sunlight is more indirect and appears misty or foggy as opposed to the clearer light in my photo. The air feels more contaminated or congested in the Kenna photo versus clean and fresh in my photo.
The Skyline:
Both the Kenna and my photo evoke a feeling of balance and symmetry: a beautiful skyline. The subject of picture is similar in both photos, representing a lively shoreline and bustling city. Kenna's photo has a lighter backdrop which makes it feel more busy as opposed to my photo with a darker skyline which feels more peaceful. The clarify of the skyline if stronger in my picture versus more foggy in Michael Kenna's photo. Overall you can appreciate the beauty of both photographs and have them relate to you spiritually and emotionally in some way.
My Personal Artist Statement
My images show a progression from simplicity and peace through the settling of a busy day on an evening shoreline. The initial photo background reflecting the willow displays the settling sky, with the depth of the deep sky surrounding the frame of the tree and skyline. The viewpoint of the sun setting above and through the oak trees, with cropping, allows the viewer to focus only on the rising trees through the sunset. Leading lines was a motivation goal for me to achieve and I believe I have been able to accomplish this goal in my final project. I also drove the pictures I took towards a way to show that the pictures are a reflection off of the kind of person I am.
My Bibliography
Exhibit-E.com. "Michael Kenna." Joseph Bellows Gallery - Michael Kenna - Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2017.
"Home." FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2017.
"Michael Kenna." BackStage360.com. N.p., 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 11 June 2017.
"MICHAEL KENNA (Born 1953)." Michael Kenna - Landscape Photographer - Beetles+Huxley London | Beetles & Huxley. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2017.
Says, Réjean Nantel, and Frank Baudino Says. "Michael Kenna." The Art of Photography. N.p., 09 May 2015. Web. 11 June 2017.
"Home." FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2017.
"Michael Kenna." BackStage360.com. N.p., 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 11 June 2017.
"MICHAEL KENNA (Born 1953)." Michael Kenna - Landscape Photographer - Beetles+Huxley London | Beetles & Huxley. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2017.
Says, Réjean Nantel, and Frank Baudino Says. "Michael Kenna." The Art of Photography. N.p., 09 May 2015. Web. 11 June 2017.