Brian Finke
PHOTOS
PRESSE
Flight Attendants 2006 - 2008
Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles, Messieurs, le capitaine et son personnel de navigation vous souhaitent la bienvenue à bord. Pour cette nouvelle série, Brian Finke nous ouvre les portes de l’univers lustré et exotique des hôtesses de l’air et des stewards. Vous avez pris place sur les lignes de British Airways, Icelandair, Tiger Airways ou Cathay Pacific Airways ; l’embarquement et le décollage sont imminents : fasten your seatbelt and raise your tray table. Pendant deux ans, Brian Finke a volé autour du monde. D’un continent à un autre, son seul but a été de suivre ces professionnels des airs. Sourires aux lèvres et tenues toujours impeccables, les hôtesses de l’air, toutes occupées au confort et à la sécurité des passagers, en ont oublié sa présence. Il en ressort un témoignage sincère qui lève le voile sur un métier auréolé de fantasmes. Entre tarmac et passerelles, chambre d’hôtel et appartement personnel, toboggan et avion d’entraînements, les visages, fardés pour l’occasion, que Brian Finke photographie, dénotent une fragilité loin des stéréotypes associés à ces déesses des airs. Et si leurs chorégraphies de pantomimes sont inlassablement rejouées, leurs attitudes n’en sont pas moins plastiques. A l’heure des low costs, des portiques ultra sécurisés et des fioles de 100ml, Brian Finke célébre ces femmes à l’esthétique chic des sixties qui entretiennent coûte que coûte l’image de l’âge d’or de l’aviation. Les photographies de Brian Finke s’inscrivent dans la tradition des reportages ethnographiques. Ses indigènes revêtent tentôt des vêtements de lumière, à l’image des pompom girls de sa toute première série, tantôt des tailleurs conventionnels caractéristiques des hôtesses de l’air, en d’autres termes : ils portent des uniformes, masques des tribus actuelles. Les images de Brian Finke rendent justice au vernis pimpant de femmes à l’attitude résolument glamour
Elise Legris-Heinrich
Flight Attendants 2006 - 2008
Ladies and gentlemen, the captain and crew would like to welcome you aboard… For his new series, Brian Finke offers us a peek into the exotic, polished world of the flight attendant. You’re flying British Airways, Icelandair, Tiger Airways or Cathay Pacific Airways; taxi and takeoff are imminent: fasten your seatbelts and raise your tray tables. For two years, Brian Finke has flown around the world, from continent to continent, following people who have made their careers in the sky. His flight attendants, smiling and perfectly dressed, absorbed in assuring the comfort and safety of their passengers, have forgotten that he is there. The resulting photographs are sincere observations that draw the veil away from a line of work haloed in fantasies. From tarmacs and gangways, hotel rooms and personal apartments, emergency exit slides and training craft, the made-up faces that Finke photographs betray a fragility worlds away from the stereotypes normally associated with these goddesses of the air. Their attitudes are no less plastic than the choreographed pantomimes they perform so tirelessly. In a time of discount airlines, ultra-sensitive metal detectors, and clear plastic bags, Brian Finke celebrates these women and their sixties-era chic, working to maintain the image of aviation’s golden age at all costs. Finke’s photographs locate themselves in the tradition of ethnographic journalism. His natives dress in show costume, like the cheerleaders in his first series, or in the conventional suits worn by flight attendants; in other words, they are in uniform - today’s tribal masks. Brian Finke’s images render justly the trim polish of these resolutely glamorous women.
Elise Legris-Heinrich - traduit par Miranda Richmond-Moulliot
2-4-6-8 Cheerleaders !!! 1999 - 2004
Mais qu’est-ce qui fait courir la jeunesse américaine ? Ni Hollywood, ni hamburgers, c’est de paillettes et de rock stars des terrains dont il est question. Et quand on parle de sport aux Etats-Unis, on ne peut s’empêcher de penser au football américain et imaginer des pompom girls aux les jupettes qui se retroussent et de grands gaillards casqués. Avec un regard amusé, souvent tendre, Brian Finke photographie des lycéens et des étudiants qui pratiquent ces deux sports. Cris de joie, de victoire, d’angoisse ou d’encouragement, tous revivent avec complexité sur ses clichés. Les couleurs y sont rutilantes, à la hauteur des émotions sans compromis de l’adolescence. Pendant deux ans, Brian Finke a arpenté aux côtés des meilleures équipes les terrains de jeu américains. A force de présence aux répétitions, aux entraînements et aux rencontres, il est devenu un témoin avisé de ce monde croisé des joueurs de football et des meneuses d’équipe. Son appareil s’est même rendu invisible à leurs yeux ce qui lui a permis de saisir des instants d’une grande sincérité. Si bien que ses photographies donnent l’impression d’être un condensé des interrogations propre à l’adolescence ; elles en disent long sur la sexualité, l’identité ou encore le tiraillement provoqué par le désir d’être soi et l’envie d’appartenir à un groupe. Les vives images de Brian Finke ont quelque chose de l’épiphanie, chaque instant capturé par l’objectif s’illumine d’un jour nouveau. En mélangeant subtilement lumière naturelle et lumière artificielle, l’anecdotique touche à l’emblématique, le banal à l’héroïque. Un jeune homme fêtant la victoire, torse nu, casque levé, devient une sorte d’idole ; une jeune fille, en habit de lumière, dévoile sa vulnérabilité. Les photographies de Brian Finke sont instinctives, à mille lieux des académismes.
Brian Finke s’inscrit dans la tradition de la photographie documentaire telle que la pratiquait Cartier-Bresson. Lui saisissait à la volée des scènes de vie, Brian Finke capture l’émotion avec autant de sagacité. Ni retouchées, ni posées, ses photographies sont pleines de vie et dressent le portrait d’une société technicolor.
Elise Legris-Heinrich
2-4-6-8 Cheerleaders !!! 1999 - 2004
What is it that animates American youth today? It’s neither Hollywood, nor hamburgers, but rather, the glitter-glam and the rock stars of the American sports ground. Indeed, when one speaks of sports in the United States, one can’t help but think of American football, imagining pompom girls in hiked-up miniskirts, and tall, muscular, helmet-clad young men. With an amusing, and often gentle, gaze, Brian Finke photographs the high school and college students who play these sports. With cries of joy, victory, anguish and support, all his subjects beg us to see the complexities behind the cliché. Enveloped in gleaming color, they express intense emotion, without for a moment compromising adolescence.
Over a period of two years, Brian Finke scuttled the field alongside some of the best American football teams. Present at their games, training sessions, and drills, he became an expert witness to this special world, made up of players and their cheerleaders. His camera, seemingly invisible to his subjects’ eyes, captures fleeting moments with profound sincerity. If his photos at first suggest a reader’s digest of typical adolescent inquiry, they nevertheless speak volumes to the themes of sexuality, identity, and even the internal conflict provoked by the desire to be one’s self, and ‘belonging’ to a group.
Brian Finke’s vivid images have something of the divine within them, as each instant captured by the lens lights up as a new day. Subtly blending natural and artificial light, the anecdotal touches the emblematic, banality touches heroism. A young man celebrating victory, his bare chest exposed, his battle helmet lifted, becomes a sort of idol; a young girl, enveloped by light, unveils her vulnerability. Brian Finke’s photographs are instinctive, but remain within the realm of the academic.
Brian Finke considers himself part of the tradition of documentary photography practiced by Cartier-Bresson. Whereas Cartier-Bresson seized passing moments of life, Brian Finke captures emotion with the same degree of shrewdness. Refusing to retouch photos, or to allow subjects to pose, his images remain full of life and present a unique portrait of a Technicolor society.
Elise Legris-Heinrich - traduit par Miranda Richmond-Moulliot
Né à Philadelphie en 1976, Brian Finke vit à New York. Il a obtenu un diplôme en photographie de l’Ecole des arts visuels de New York en 1998. Depuis, il connaît un grand succès en tant que photographe publicitaire, et le New York Times, le New Yorker, Details et Time publient ses oeuvres. Il a obtenu plusieurs prix prestigieux, dont le prix d’excellence de la fondation Alexia pour la paix (1998) et le Grand Prix de la photo de presse (2001). Son travail sur les pompom girls et les footballeurs américains a fait l’objet d’une édition aux éditions Umbrage, en 2003, 2 4 6 8 : American cheerleaders and football players, photographs by Brian Finke. Ses oeuvres sont entrées dans de nombreuses collections comme le musée des Beaux Arts de Houston (Texas, Etats-Unis), le musée d’art de Worcester (Massachusetts, Etats-Unis), le musée d’art de Saint-Louis (Missouri, Etats-Unis), la bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris), ou encore le musée Kiyosato des arts photographiques de Kitakoma-gun (Japon).
Brian Finke lives and works in New York
Exhibitions
2010 « American Cheerleaders & Football Players : Photographs by Brian Finke », Galerie Wouter Van Leeuwen, Amsterdam
2009 « Kids Behaving Badly », Clampart, New York City
« Masculine : Interpretations of Manhood », Charles Cowles Gallery, New York City
« Flight Attendants : Photographs by Brian Finke », Galerie Open, Berlin
« Focus ! » T & P Fine Art, Philadelphia
2008
“Flight Attendants: Photographs by Brian Finke,” Galerie Philippe Chaume, Paris
“The Hustle,” The PowerHouse Arena, Brooklyn, New York
“Flight Attendants: Photographs by Brian Finke,” ClampArt, New York City
“Flight Attendants: Photographs by Brian Finke,” Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles
2007
“Switcher Sex: Video Works and Photography from the Teutloff Collection,” Slought Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Photographs by Brian Finke,” James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
“The Brooklynites Exhibition,” powerHouse, Brooklyn, New York
“MURE,” M Cleveland, Ohio
“Brian Finke: American Cheerleaders and Football Players,” Galerie Philippe Chaume, Paris
2006
“photo bravo 06,” Minnesota Center for Photography, Minneapolis, Minnesota
“Society of Publication Designers Photography Auction,” Harry’s Loft/International Center for Photography, New York City
“PRC Benefit Auction 2006,” Photographic Resource Center at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
“PhotoNY,” ClampArt booth, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City
“PH Print,” Galerie Philippe Chaume, Paris
“Teen Beat,” Society for Contemporary Photography, St. Louis, Missouri
“Bring It On!,” moniquemelochegallery, Chicago
“Blame It on Rio,” White Box, New York City (Benefiting the New York Foundation for the Arts)
“Cheerleaders, Bodybuilders, and Disco Queens: Photographs by Brian Finke and Morten Nilsson,” Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, Jacksonville, Florida
“photo l.a.,” ClampArt booth, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California
2005
Most Muscular: Photographs by Brian Finke, ClampArt, New York City
New View: Recent acquisitions to the Oppenheimer/JCCC Collection for the
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College
Gallery of Art, Overland Park, Kansas
Focus on AIDS Photography Benefit Auction, The Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles
GLAAD OUTAuction 2005, The Altman Building, New York City
Focus on AIDS 11NBenefit Auction, Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles
The Inaugural SVA Alumni Society Auction, Visual Arts Gallery, New York City
Photography: Double Exposure, The Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago, Chicago
Gods and Monsters, Ambrosino Gallery, North Miami, Florida
this dream, America, Art League of Long Island/Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, New York (Curator, Keith Miller)
FOTORELIEF and UNICEF Photography Exhibition and Auction, Milk Studios, New York City
Rock and Royalty to Erase MS: 12th Annual Event, The Westin Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles
Live Out Loud 4th Annual Gala, Chelsea Art Museum, New York City
Humanity Photo Awards, 2005 EXPO, United Nations Pavilion, Japan (traveling to UNESCO Headquarters, Paris)
Brian Finke: American Cheerleaders and Football Players, Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles
2004
Postcards From the Edge, Visual AIDS at Brent Sikkema, New York City
Growing Up Absurd: Boys Becoming Men in an Irrational World, Radiant
Light Gallery, Portland, Maine
First Annual PhotoNY Invitational, lyonswiergallery, New York City
PhotoNY, ClampArt booth, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City
GLAAD OUTAuction 2004, The Altman Building, New York City
Unbroken: Photography Subjects Speak Out, Denise Bibro Fine Art, New YorK City
Brian Finke: Bodybuilding, Project Space/NYFA Interactive (Online exhibition)
Art Chicago 2004, Catherine Edelman booth, Festival Hall, Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois
The Photography Show (Association of International Photography Art Dealers), Catherine Edelman booth, Hilton Hotel Midtown, New York City
Young Portfolio Acquisitions 2003,” Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts”, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi, Japan
Teenage Kicks, Hibernian Royal Academy, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Discoveries of FotoFest: The FotoFest Meeting Place, FotoFest, Houston, Texas (traveled to Casa Thomas Jefferson, Brasilia, Brazil)
2003
Brian Finke: American Cheerleaders and Football Players, ClampArt, New York City
Boys of Summer: Photographs of and about Men, ClampArt, New York City
Photo L.A.: The 12th Los Angeles Photographic Print Exposition, ClampArt booth, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California
2002
48-hour Photo Exhibit (Selected Works by 48 NYC-based Photographers), Arts International, New York City
De Oude Kerk, Amsterdam
2001
The Netherlands Photography Institute, Rotterdam
The Light Factory, North Carolina
2000
The Capital Building, Washington, DC
1998
New Century Artist Gallery, New York City
1996
School of Visual Arts Gallery, New York City
Houston Center for Photography, Houston, Texas
1995
School of Visual Arts Group Show,O Houston Center for Photography, Houston, Texas
1994
Houston Center for Photography, Houston, Texas
Awards and Honors:
2005
Artist of the Week, New York Foundation for the Arts (September 22, 2005)
2004
New York Federation for the Arts Fellowship (including a $7,000.00 cash prize to be used for making new work)
Nomination Award (Category of Education, Recreation, Sports and Technology), Humanity Photo Awards, China Folklore Photographic Association, Beijing, China
2003
7th International Prize for Young Photo Journalism 2003, Agfa and Das BildForum, Honorable Mention
2001
World Press Photo Masterclass
Photo District News, 30 Under 30
1998
Child Labor and the Global Village: Photography for Social Change Grant
Award of Excellence, The Alexia Foundation for World Peace
Selected Publications:
The Advocate
American Photo
Details
Discover
Dutch
Fortune
GEO
GQ
HX Magazine
Image
Interview Magazine
The Irish Times
The L Magazine
Los Angeles Times Magazine
Newsweek
New York Blade
New York Magazine
New York Press
The New York Sun
The New York Times
The New York Times Magazine
The New Yorker
Photo (France)
Photo District News
Picture Magazine
Radar Magazine
Rolling Stone
Time
Time Out New York
The Sunday Times Magazine (London)
U.S. News and World Report
US
The Village Voice
VSD (Paris)
Wired
Books:
Robert Pledge and Peter Hay Halpert, FOTORELIEF (FOTORELIEF and UNICEF: New York City,
2005), no. 35, full-page illus.
2-4-6-8: American Cheerleaders and Football Players, Photographs by Brian Finke (Umbrage Editions: New York City, 2003)
Tina Schelhorn and Dr. Peter V. Brinkemper, 7th International Prize for Young Photo Journalism
2003 (Edition Braus: Heidelberg, Germany, 2003), p. 71, full-page color illus.
Alice Rose George, Ed., Here Is New York: A Democracy of Photographs (Scalo Books: New York City, 2002), pp. 122-3
September 11, 2001: A Record of Tragedy, Heroism, and Hope (Harry N. Abrams: New York City, 2001), pp. 95, 98-9, 112-3
Reviews:
Les Footballers de Brian Fink, PREF mag hs (Mai 2006).p 68-79, full-color illus.
Les bodybuilders de Brian Finke, PHOTO (December 2005), p. 12, full-color illus.
Gallery Listings, The New York Times (November 25, 2005), p. E33
Stephen D’Agostino, Body of Work, New York Blade (November 18, 2005), cover, p. 22, full color illus.
Jennifer Snow, Voice Choices, The Village Voice (November 16 22, 2005), p. 79 (Critic’s Pick)
Short List, The New Yorker (November 14, 2005), p. 24, full-color illus.
Roid Ragin, HX Magazine (November 11, 2005), p. 58, full-color illus.
Art Listings, Time Out New York (November 10 16, 2005), p. 71
The L Magazine (November 9 November 22, 2005), p. 62, illus.
Pref (October 2005), Issue 11, pp. 142-9, full-color illus.
Helen A. Harrison, Making the Ordinary Extraordinary, The New York Times (May 29, 2005)
PhotoNY 2004, HotShoe (December 2004), p. 37, color illus.
Richard B. Woodward, Home Team Advantage: On Gallery Walls, the Art Kids are Finally
Taking on the Jocks,O The New York Times (February 15, 2004), p. AR-17, illus.
David Schonauer (Editor in Chief), The Best Photo Books of the Year, American Photo
(January/February 2004), pp. 65, 69-70, full-color illus.
Brian Finke, The New Yorker (October 20, 2003)
2-4-6-8: American Cheerleaders and Football Players, Photographs by Brian Finke, Toro
(October/November 2003), p. 21, full-color illus.
Lectures:
2005
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
School of Visual Arts, New York City
2004
International Center for Photography, New York City
Parsons School of Design, New York City
School of Visual Arts, New York City
2003
PhotoExpo, Jacob Javits Center, New York City
School of Visual Arts, New York City
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York
2002
School of Visual Arts, New York City
Selected collections:
Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts
Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri
Johnson County Community College Gallery of Art, Overland Park, Kansas
21c Museum, Louisville, Kentucky
Lutz Teutloff Photo Video Collection, Germany
Kiyosato M
useum of Photographic Arts, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi, Japan
Alexia Foundation for World Peace, New York
World Press Photos, Amsterdam
Education:
1998 Bachelor of Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York City