German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans has been a photographic inspiration of mine since I first spotted his book on the shelves of my college library. His multi faceted way of working illustrates his wider interest in the art world, and breaking down the boundaries between each field. I visited his ‘2017’ exhibition at the Tate Modern which proved to be an expansive and highly important show with regards to his new works. There was a huge range of different material but the pieces I found most to my taste were his portraits of male friends and the intimate stance that Tillmans was able to take. The images demonstrate the close relationship he has with his models, as he photographs the nape of a friend, so closely you can see the hairs, or a friend stark naked in the bath. They demonstrate his biding time with the practice and the comfort he makes his models feel. It is these intimate portraits that drive the way I hope to work and progress in photography.
The way Tillmans applies his prints to galleries walls is completely unique and anything other than traditional. The classical photographic image is mounted and framed beautifully yet Tillmans nails the print straight into the wall, using cheap nails that go through the corner of the print. This takes away from the hierarchal elite style of expensive framing and gives a sense of work in progress and youth, emulating the way people apply their favourite posters to the walls of their bedroom. Tillmans applies this intimate relationship to us through this technique.
Although his work spans fine art, graphic design and photography, I find his intimate portraits to fall into the documentary column because of their closeness and the details he choses to photograph. By photographing his close friends there’s also a cross over from private to public, something that documentary challenges and attempts to do in a respectful way. The colours and focus of the images also tend to be soft and light, reinforcing the view he wants the audience to have on his subjects.
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