YOUR PHOTO ON MY WALL

David Armstrong's last show at Matthew Marks (Your Picture on My Wall, January 16, 2004-February 21, 2004) was risky business, all about shadowy cities and brown skin, about fantasy, Very much on display were 35 new photographs taken in the last year or two. The photographas were about:

illusion and eventual clarity

searching out the backbone of life, the errant thing that it is

how cynical is he, not at all, or only a little bit?

about light, despite, or perhaps because of blur

winter, cold clear, clean and dirty

hotel rooms, wan and skimpy, faded glory, worn cloth

a glamorized look at desire, and its despair glamorized too
or
realism

documentary and yet, also so posed, so perfect, so constructed.


Q. were they told to stand this way, to look there?

A. yes, probably and yet the poses are so natural, there is no arrogance, or attitude or drama….the may have been told to stand that way but they are natural when they do it

their relation to the camera---these guys have no self consciousness, and therefore little hope, but no despair?

the prince like Karim, the jazzy blues player Octavio, smiling Phoenix, posed like a ballet dancer, sweet Bam Bam with his hand on his head, posing, show his ribs, the bones in his chest against a brown wall.

patches of luxe material, a red pillow, a yellow bed spread, a quilt, old white sheets, ornaments

the skin is an ornament, the tattoo, nipples, beard

there are colored lights in all the building, oh and the elevator is all light

you would think this is all romantic…no, it is more like William Dean Howells?