Daniel Minnick
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Minnick is a 2005 graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, and has participated in solo and group exhibitions around California. Much of his work involves photobooth photos, singly and in strips.
From his artist's statement (2002):
To me, freedom is a horrible concept. When I think of freedom I think of chaos and anarchy. My world is held together by rules and regulations. I get enjoyment from the absence of liberty; it lets me play with structure and organization.
This distaste of freedom is why I am so attracted to naive photography. It is the inexperienced photographer, often through consumer-grade photographic technologies, who practices this style of photography. The user has to abide by many rules because of the lack of technical features of these photographic devices. This is where the fun comes in for me. In my work, I use these limitations to my advantage. By exploiting, subverting, working and experimenting with this authority, I seek to understand and validate this genre of photography.
The photo booth is a prime example of naive photography. The limitations of this mechanism are just begging to be investigated. First of all there is a stationary camera that is only meant for portraiture. All options such as lighting, lenses, and backgrounds are fixed and not intended to be changed. Most importantly, the photo booth is not considered a serious art medium. All these factors and more have compelled me to apply a formal knowledge of photography to the confines of the commercial photo booth.
This distaste of freedom is why I am so attracted to naive photography. It is the inexperienced photographer, often through consumer-grade photographic technologies, who practices this style of photography. The user has to abide by many rules because of the lack of technical features of these photographic devices. This is where the fun comes in for me. In my work, I use these limitations to my advantage. By exploiting, subverting, working and experimenting with this authority, I seek to understand and validate this genre of photography.
The photo booth is a prime example of naive photography. The limitations of this mechanism are just begging to be investigated. First of all there is a stationary camera that is only meant for portraiture. All options such as lighting, lenses, and backgrounds are fixed and not intended to be changed. Most importantly, the photo booth is not considered a serious art medium. All these factors and more have compelled me to apply a formal knowledge of photography to the confines of the commercial photo booth.
Contributed by Brian
