When you see his work, your eye absorbs the whole image first. You’ll see all the tones of reds, greens, and blues. Then you take in the subject of the photo. You see their body and the reaction to their surroundings. The physical and emotional catharsis that the subject shares with the environment sucks the audience into the piece. This is what New Jersey born photographer Ryan McGinley has brought to the table with his new work series titled Fall and Winter.
For Fall, the setting of autumn in New York evokes a feeling of nostalgia. The audience goes back to good memories of childhood, running around, playing with the leaves and just enjoying every moment. We get closer to our loved ones, both old and new. It’s the time of the year that reminds us what we should cherish and what we should leave behind. As with Winter, this series (shot in California) features a season that still has remnants of what autumn had embraced. Yet there’s a realization that the year is going to end which brings both hope and fear for what is going to come. Winter in nature encloses life. Animals hibernate while plants die off while trying to survive the winter. Winter is associated with isolation but through this isolation we see the majestic that nature brings out during this season. Ryan McGinley showcases this correlation through his series. He brings out the genuine and melancholy of both these two seasons. His photography documents humanity in a pure form while emphasizing just how big of an influence nature can be to us people. Projects like this make us want to go outside, explore, dream and live.
Text : Luckas Arias-Torfs