:: tina barney ::

the young lady

jill and polly in the bathroom, 1987

the red sheath, 2001

the two friends

Allison Sarofim

the orange room, 2001

the daughters, 2002

the ancestor, 2001

Tina Barney began photographing what she knew; friends and family going about their daily lives in affluent areas of New England.

Working with a large-format, 8-by-10-view camera Barney is able to capture details and nuances of her sitters banal day-to-day goings on while never losing the richness and complexities of their surroundings.

The final product is produced on enormous, 4 by 5 foot prints.

Her work is almost like a 20th century, John Singer Sargent. When you see one of her pieces, it's as if you could climb up into the photograph and be in the room with the subjects. The colors are so rich and the details so precise.

There's a great, Tina Barney documentary on Sundance called, 'Social Studies'.

I highly recommend.