Monday, April 11, 2011

One of My Inspirations

photo by karen kuehn for the NYT Sunday Magazine

Chris Van Allsburg
(children's illustrator)

I first noticed Chris Van Allsburgs works in NYC at a children's book store.
I use to spend hours pondering poetry, anthropology and children's stories at a variety of shops around NYC. The Strand was one of my favorites back in the day.
Once I discovered his stories I couldn't stay away from my curiosity about the artist.
I asked one of my editors; Frannie Ruch at Elle Magazine if we could do a story on Chris and she said yes and I got to meet him and work with him for the first time.
We did some normal shots and than we went to the park and shot infra red film with him and an old airplane model. I should dig those up.

I think he's afraid of flying as I recall.
Later the NY Times asked me to do a session with him and Kathy Ryan assigned his portrait with me. The Polar Express had just launched so I had Chris come to my studio and we did the shot above.
Later Chris asked me to intern a friends kid at my place and I did for an exchange of a print.
I still have not received it but I am hopeful that one day I will get an image that is not a laser print. Follow through is really important to me.
Here are a few images by Chris from his Harris Burdick book.
This is by far my favorite book of his for I feel his light and that he knows it better than most photographers.
For this I find his charcols inspiring.
His mystery and concepts leaving you open to tell the story yourself makes for a wonderful book.
If I were an teacher I'd have my students write stories to this pictures.
check it out in the link below provided.
The drawing below is just one of which I have always felt a familiar feeling.
This could be me dreaming.
I love this image from the Harris Burdick book.



MR. LINDEN'S LIBRARY

___________________

He had warned her about the book.

Now it was too late.


THE SEVEN CHAIRS

_________________

The fifth one ended up in France.


A STRANGE DAY IN JULY

____________________

He threw with all his might, but the

third stone came skipping back.


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