Photography's stale wave: young artists recycle clichés
A critical review in artpress argues that the recent photography scene is not being overshadowed by established names like Andreas Gursky and Cindy Sherman, but rather suffers from its own lack of originality. Young photographic artists such as Delphine Kreuter and Japanese artist Mayumi are accused of relying on heavy visual archetypes and supermarket-grade subversion. In contrast, two artists from an older generation, Javier Vallhonrat and John Fontcuberta, manage to avoid the pitfall of exhausted, already-outdated forms. The article suggests that the problem is not external dominance but internal creative stagnation among emerging photographers.
Key facts
- The article was published in artpress in May 2002.
- Andreas Gursky and Cindy Sherman are cited as established figures not responsible for the perceived decline.
- Delphine Kreuter and Mayumi are named as young photographers criticized for using heavy visual archetypes.
- Javier Vallhonrat and John Fontcuberta are older-generation artists who avoid outdated forms.
- The review criticizes the younger scene for 'supermarket subversion'.
- The article title translates to 'Photography: In the hollow of the wave'.
- The original text is in French.
- The criticism focuses on the exhaustion of already obsolete forms.
Entities
Artists
- Andreas Gursky
- Cindy Sherman
- Delphine Kreuter
- Mayumi
- Javier Vallhonrat
- John Fontcuberta
Institutions
- artpress
Sources
- artpress —