J Henry Fair’s photographs uniquely capture the human impact on the landscape. Yet there is a rich history of artists and photographers that have interpreted their environmental concerns through creative expression. We asked Fair to provide us a list of some of the artists that have influenced his work, as well as other artists who are currently working in a similar vein.
Some artists that have influenced J Henry Fair’s environmental approach
Charles Sheeler – “A painter and photographer who reveled in the beauty of industry and machines”
The Italian Futurists – “Celebrated the beauty of machines as the pinnacle of human achievement. Introduced a wonderful dynamism to their best work, and toyed with abstraction.”
Wassily Kandinsky – “His exploration of abstraction, and the interaction of basic shapes and colors which alternated between abstract and literal, created a wonderful dynamic.”
Alberto Giacometti – “Examined the place of the individual in the modern world, and the diminishment that industry and commerce impose.”
Edward Weston – “One of the earliest photographers exploring shapes and the interplay of light, exploring the interaction between abstract and literal.”
Walker Evans – “Documented a disappearing culture, the end of American regional uniqueness, and the impact of the economy on individuals and localities.”
László Moholy-Nagy – “A photographer who started to move away from the obvious literal application of the medium.”
Oskar Schlemmer – “Bauhaus master of many media who explored the interplay between man and machine.”
Artists who work in a similar space currently
Emmett Gowan – “I think of his black and whites, often aerial, of industry and pollution.”
Richard Misrach – “Humans impacted by industry.”
Jann Arthus Bertrand – “Wonderful aerial abstracts of man-made shapes.”
Edward Burtinsky – “Similar to my work, though less abstract. Beautiful images of industrial impacts, done with large format.”
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