David Hilliard

by David Hilliard (Photographer), Charlotte Cotton (Contributor), Vince Aletti (Editor)

David Hilliard's vibrant color photographs, usually triptychs or larger compositions, present elaborate narratives exploring a range of themes and situations, from the awkwardness of adolescence to masculinity disarmed. Formally, these staged photographs share the style of contemporary photographers like Gregory Crewdson and Anna Gaskell, among others. Yet Hilliard draws less from the realm of the fantastic and instead looks to his immediate surroundings to draw inspiration, as he deftly fuses autobiography with fiction to engage a host of complex ideas. This lush monograph is the first major publication of Hilliard's work. Included are works from the artist's ongoing series of his father that demonstrate Hilliard's ability to tangle fact with fiction as the resulting images, underscored by the artist's wry outlook on the world, convey a distinct poignancy. Other works engage issues of intimacy, homoeroticism and identity. The resulting scenes are as often elegiac as they are comical, always orchestrated with precision, and with a marriage of form and content that work together to immerse the viewer in the visual narrative.

Genres: Photography

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just discovered David Hilliard's work and I think it's amazing. He does two to three paneled photos that have a lot of masculine and/or homosexual themes. Some feminine themese too but not as much. All are narrative, some are humorous/witty but it doesn't purely rely on that so isn't weakened in any way. I think it's genius. He began working on photo essays depicting his father (and sometimes himself) and then moved on from there depicting masculine scenes. All are good and I look forward to seeing more of his work.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great work, great book.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Hilliard is a great photographer of life using panoramic view. It's hard for me to describe how awesome he is so I can only suggest that you google him and check out his work.