I chose to look at street photography for this task, although not directly linked to fashion and textile design, I think it’s important to observe and understand the people in our towns and cities, that these photographers capture so honestly and meaningfully, as much of today’s fashion comes from and is influenced by the everyday man and woman. An example being skate culture and the recent rise in the popularity of skate wear and skate brands among popular fashion.
The book I found to reference is a beautiful book by Ed Templeton. It is presented in an accordion style and documents his visits to the island of Santa Catalina off the coast of Southern California, in a series of candid but beautiful photographs of the places and people of Santa Catalina. These pictures really capture the carefree vibe Templeton must have experienced whilst visiting.
I then came across an editorial on street photography on the Open Walls Gallery website. Here they attempt to define street photography, highlighting the flexible nature of this particular genre of photography and its main objective which is to “be a true mirror of society” (Open Walls, 2016).
My third source, an article on the New York Times website about the skaters of Tompkins Square Park in New York City, documents the importance of the grittier areas of New York, and every major city, that are becoming increasingly gentrified, as a place to keep skate culture and the recognisable style that comes with it, alive.
- E. Templeton, (2015), Adventures in the Nearby Faraway, Paris, Editions Bessard
- Open Walls Gallery, (2016), ‘Street Photography – From Early Modernity to Street Art’. Available from: https://openwallsgallery.com/street-art-photography/ (Accessed: 25/11/17)
- Theodore Barrow, (2017), ‘Eternal Youth in Tompkins Square Park’, The New York Times, 11 November. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/11/style/eternal-youth-in-tompkins-square-park.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fthe-look (Accessed: 25/11/17)