CI Featured Client Project: David Moog: Artists Seen
I’ve known David Moog as a friend and client for about 11 years (from 2015, to be exact). From the beginning, I found him to be engaging, talented, skilled, wise, and authoritative on the subjects near and dear to him (and in general). A man of distinct principles. While David is no spring chicken – he’s had a long and successful career in photography – he remains very active at a point when most have already wound down.
David Moog ( b 1944 ) is a photographer living in Western New York. At the age of 18 he was introduced to the celebrated philosopher – photographer Minor White. Within months he became one of White’s students, and to this day remains dedicated to the practice and art of camera image making.
One of the great things he has been involved in is the Artists Seen project. Actually, “involved in” is not accurate, since this project was entirely his initiative and fulfillment. David had the idea to pay homage to artists in the Western New York vicinity, where he hails from. This was no small project. From 2015 to 2017, David photographed over 700 artists. Needless to say, he is not a leisurely operator. He also wanted to explore the idea of how a photographer and their subject could form a “conspiracy of beauty, that indefinable moment when an image is made”.
Original plan drawing for a studio background stage submitted with my project proposal to Anthony Bannon, then director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center and Scott Propeak, the chief curator and presenter, January 2015
For this project he approached Tony Bannon and Scott Propeak at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, located in Buffalo, NY. Since David had sold his studio several years earlier, his idea was to take occupancy of an unused 19′ x 32′ space on the first floor of the Art Center. By utilizing a space in the Art Center, the studio “became a form of installation/performance art”. Gallery visitors were invited to watch portraits being made, or view completed work on display.
An assortment of medium format digital cameras were used – the Phase One IQ3 60/XF System, and a Hasselblad X2D system. Discussion happened with each participant, with David retaining final say in the selected choice of images. In almost every instance, the visiting artist was in complete agreement with David’s choices.
My perspective on these images and the project as a whole is that it surely was a work of love for David. He was sincerely inspired and enthused over the idea of being present with many, many artists and creating a moment that existed between them and was faithfully recorded as such. Additionally, to shine a light on 700 artists, many of whom surely faced their own struggles to be seen for who they are and for the art they produce, is a tremendous gift to the art community. It speaks to the passion, the desire, the drive to inhabit and dwell in the human spirit.
This project has actually become a 2 set book series, and can be purchased from the Museum Store at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, by making a $50 donation to the BPAC.
https://shop.burchfieldpenney.org
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steve@captureintegration.com – 404.543.8475
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