Drawing on Hollywood’s aesthetic of artificiality and the power of a scrupulously directed film scene, American photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia is a pioneer in staged photography, crafting narratives of everyday life. “I thought of the people as puppets who were unstrung, mercilessly disempowered—not preyed upon, but living on the edge and not by choice,” he says of his earliest L.A. subjects. “So it was interesting to set up scenarios that often didn’t portray the real circumstances.” Using photographic media from digital to Polaroid, diCorcia’s collections range from the meticulous staging and disconcerting affectlessness of high-end fashion photography to the impromptu intimacy of street portraits, frequently capturing garishness and frailty in a single shot.
Location
Artist
Philip-Lorca Dicorcia
b. 1951, United States of America
Title
Ike Cole, 38 years old, Los Angeles, California, $25 (Mayfair Market)
Type
Year
Medium
Fujicolor Crystal Archive Print
Edition
Edition of 20
Dimensions
39 1/2 x 60 in.
(100.3 x 152.4 cm)
Copyright
© Philip-Lorca Dicorcia