By Scott Shephard
I am taking you with me in the Photo Time & Space Machine today and transporting you to Joshua Tree National Park in California. Date: February 10, 2023. Subjects: 5 of the dearest people in my circle of friends and family. They haven’t given me permission to publish their candid photos. But as a photographer I know that in a public setting such as this there is “no expectation of privacy” and I can show you this without fear of lawsuit. Fear of losing trust and respect? That’s another issue . . . .
Nevertheless, I love this tableau, which shows 5 people completely absorbed in being themselves. And I certainly mean no disrespect to these good people but when I look at this I am reminded of Duane Hanson’s* famous sculpture Tourists. The tourists in my photo aren’t even close to being as frumpy as Hanson’s.
In fact, “my” tourists are just one step away from being glamorous. I hope you agree.
Tourists by Duane Hanson Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
*Minnesota born artist know for his life size realistic sculptures of people. Here’s a post from this blog that features another Hanson sculpture.