Photography: California-based Mimi Haddon, Justin Fantl, and Jeff Kroeze Challenge Aesthetic Paradigms

Graphis looks to California this week in our weekly photography spotlight

The subjects in photography are seldom the same. Whether it’s still life, portraits, landscapes, or products, there are a myriad of different objects and themes to photograph. They are representative of real life and yet are also a distilled and artistic viewpoint of reality. It is for that reason that photography continues to challenge our notions of existence and art, a discipline that is propagated by these California-based photographers.
Mimi Haddon’s intricate photo, Papercraft Creature (ABOVE, LEFT), showcases the intense dedication that she has for capturing her subject. The portrait is hand-crafted, with the model wearing a “costume [assembled] for hundreds of pieces of paper products.” Haddon’s goal was to “create a fantastic creature using our low-fi materials,” which she does expertly. Similarly well-made is Justin Fantl’s Untitled (ABOVE, RIGHT)The gold-winning still-life is vibrantly colorful, playing with shadows and form. Simultaneously whimsical and yet realistic, Fantl’s work is a tantalizing piece that points to the modernist irony of still life photography.

Burbank-based photographer Jeff Kroeze challenges the notions of landscape photography via his iPhone 6S photo of a quaint beach, entitled Salt Creek. The peaceful subjects and monochromatic aesthetic point to the West Coast lifestyle that seems to be the focus on Kroeze’s work.
Be sure to submit your work to Graphis’ Annual Photography Competition before time runs out! The deadline is July 31. Winners will have the opportunity to see their work published on our website, blog, newsletter, and social media platforms.
Author: Graphis

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